From the Winter 2022 Fish and Wildlife News
Mar 17, 2022
Written By Lauri Munroe-Hultman
“What did the fish say when it hit the wall? Dam!”
Whether you laughed or groaned, this joke captures the conundrum faced by migratory fish ever since European settlers harnessed the power of the nation’s rivers to make everything from flour to textiles to paper.
In the Northeast, fish like alewife and blueback herring (collectively called river herring), American shad, and American eel split their time between freshwater and saltwater habitats. They’ve been shut out of their spawning and nursery grounds in many waterways for centuries, whether by dams or other barriers. Bad news not only for them — river herring are under review for potential Endangered Species Act protection — but for big ocean species like cod and tuna who prey on them.
Following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the Service received more than $100 million to improve the health of coastal habitats to benefit wildlife and people. Since then, we’ve worked with partners to remove 12 dams and improve passage at two other sites, re-opening more than 100 miles of river to migratory fish.
With obstacles gone, the fish are returning to their old ways across the Northeast, often at the first opportunity.
Read more here: https://www.fws.gov/story/2022-03/nature-returns