Puffins are dependent on small fish to survive, and new protections to the herring population could help them do that, said Don Lyons, director of conservation science for the National Audubon Society’s Seabird Institute in Bremen, Maine. catch of herring, based mostly in Maine and Massachusetts, fell from more than 200 million pounds in 2014 to less than 25 million pounds in 2019. The fishery has had to contend with quota cuts in recent years because of federal efforts to protect the fish’s population, and more restrictions are on the way. Those same Gulf of Maine waters are an important area for the U.S. Decades of conservation work have brought Maine’s population of the birds to about 1,300 pairs that nest on small islands off the coast. Lyons described the birds' Maine population as “steady” over the past five years, if not possibly a bit larger.BATH, Maine (AP) - The commercial fishery for herring has suffered in recent years due to new restrictions, but those same rules could benefit some of Maine’s most beloved birds - puffins.Ītlantic puffins, known for their colorful beaks and waddling walks, were once nearly gone from Maine, the only U.S. The puffins nest in the summer on islands such as Eastern Egg Rock off Maine's mid-coast region, where they are a popular tourism draw. “In the very near short-term it has been a challenge.” “A number of businesses are concerned about their ability to be viable,” she said. The herring fishery is hopeful for higher catch limits in the future, but 20 could be difficult years, Tooley said. Shortages of herring have complicated that in recent years, and bait crunches have resulted. Herring are economically important because lobster fishermen have used them to bait traps for generations. But it's going to challenge herring fishermen, said Mary Beth Tooley, director of government affairs for O'Hara Corp., a large Rockland, Maine-based bait dealer and herring harvester. That's good news for puffins, because small fish close to shore are vitally important for puffin parents to be able to feed chicks, Lyons said. They also include new rules that account for herring's role in the ecosystem, federal documents state. The restrictions include a prohibition on the use of certain fishing gear in inshore waters. The herring fishery is facing a new set of restrictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration starting Feb.
“The declines of herring over the last decade or longer have not been good for puffins.” An Atlantic puffin carries bait fish it will feed its chick on Eastern Egg Rock, a small island off the coast of Maine. The kind of fish they do best on, that they best raise chicks feeding,” Lyons said. “Herring are certainly a key food source for puffins. The fishery has had to contend with quota cuts in recent years because of federal efforts to protect the fish's population, and more restrictions are on the way. Decades of conservation work have brought Maine's population of the birds to about 1,300 pairs that nest on small islands off the coast. The commercial fishery for herring has suffered in recent years due to new restrictions, but those same rules could benefit some of Maine's most beloved birds - puffins.Ītlantic puffins, known for their colorful beaks and waddling walks, were once nearly gone from Maine, the only U.S. Bukaty/AP) This article is more than 1 year old. Decades of conservation work have brought the state's population of the birds to about 1,300 pairs that nest on Maine islands. Atlantic puffins congregate on Eastern Egg Rock, a small island off the coast of Maine.
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