The report, assembled over four years, uses information provided mostly by Maine lobstermen and herring fishermen. The research covered the coast from Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick to Monhegan Island. Ben Neal and Christopher Brehme of the Island Institute, a nonprofit organization that works to promote Maine island life, wrote the report. Herring are small fish that figure in a big way in the marine eco-system. Since they are at the bottom of the food chain, herring are relied on by many species, including marine mammals such as whales, seabirds and predatory fish.
Lobstermen use herring as bait in their traps.
An inshore decline in herring could have a serious effect on the entire coastal marine ecosystem, affecting both natural and human communities, the report notes. When herring are caught and packaged for human consumption, they are known as sardines. A century ago, sardine-packing plants could be found in many of Maine s coastal towns and cities. Herring landings in Maine peaked at the turn of the 20th century, and again in the 1940s. Herring is still Maine s largest fishery by weight, with annual landings averaging more than 100 million pounds over the past five years.