Fisheries

Sturgeon Events Planned For October

September 29, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York Sea Grant (NYSG) have announced a series of fall events celebrating the continuing recovery of the state’s three sturgeon species.

Sturgeon populations are rebounding in New York after decades of being on the threatened or endangered species lists as DEC continues to work to bring the primitive and distinctive fish back to the freshwaters of the state through strategic fish management and water quality improvements. [Read more…] about Sturgeon Events Planned For October

Wildlife Mosaics: Paddling Freshwater Marshes

September 25, 2022 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

Sunlight glinted off the water as we paddled our canoe along a winding channel which led through a marsh of tall grasses and wild rice. Two white, long-legged birds – great egrets – stalked the shallow water, poised to spear fish with their pointed bills. A bald eagle landed in a tree, squawking as it joined its mate. After four miles of canoeing down the Missisquoi River in northwestern Vermont we had reached the point where the river enters Lake Champlain. [Read more…] about Wildlife Mosaics: Paddling Freshwater Marshes

New York’s Fall Salmon Migration

September 17, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Each fall, tributaries to the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain are home to salmon returning to spawn. This can make for some exciting fish watching as salmon move upstream and jump or otherwise navigate various obstructions on their way to their desired spawning sites. [Read more…] about New York’s Fall Salmon Migration

Reading Bug Tracks on Tea Leaves

September 17, 2022 by Paul Hetzler 2 Comments

From palm-reading to watching Fox News, humans throughout the ages have sought knowledge through some decidedly irrational means. But every now and then, superstition pays off.

For example, studying the pattern of coffee grounds in the bottom of one’s cup, a practice known as tasseomancy, will nearly always reveal that someone forgot to put a filter in the coffeemaker basket. And haruspicy, the study of the fresh entrails of a gutted animal, is consistently right in concluding the animal is dead. [Read more…] about Reading Bug Tracks on Tea Leaves

Aquatic Habitat Improvements Projects in Jefferson County

September 17, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the completion of two aquatic habitat improvement projects in Jefferson County.

These habitat enhancements, on the Black River below the town of Dexter and in Chaumont Bay, Jefferson County, were implemented in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and create new spawning habitat for native fish species that are critical for local economies and ecological diversity in the region. [Read more…] about Aquatic Habitat Improvements Projects in Jefferson County

11th Annual Great Hudson River Fish Count Set for Saturday

August 5, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that the 11th annual Great Hudson River Estuary Fish Count will take place at multiple sites along the banks and piers of the Hudson River on Saturday, August 6th. [Read more…] about 11th Annual Great Hudson River Fish Count Set for Saturday

Proposed Hudson Canyon Sanctuary Comments Sought

July 23, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is seeking public comment on potentially designating a new national marine sanctuary in Hudson Canyon off the coast of New York and New Jersey.

A sanctuary designation would help conserve the area’s rich marine wildlife and habitats, promote sustainable economic activities, and create new opportunities for scientific research, ocean education, and recreation. [Read more…] about Proposed Hudson Canyon Sanctuary Comments Sought

Restoring American Shad in the Susquehanna River

July 9, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Native and colonial Americans fished for shad for sustenance, often smoking the flesh and consuming the roe as a delicacy.

American shad continued to be an important recreational and commercial fishery throughout the 20th Century. However, the shad stock has since dramatically declined due to shoreline development, pollution and over fishing, and as a result all recreational and commercial fisheries for American shad were closed in 2010.

As part of an effort to restore American shad (Alosa sapidissima) in New York, DEC Fisheries staff, in collaboration with the PA Fish and Boat Commission, recently stocked 322,000 American shad fry (young fish) into the Susquehanna River in Endicott, Broome County, NY.

Survey to Monitor Striped Bass Health in New York

July 9, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced a two-year study to monitor the health and contaminant loads of Atlantic striped bass in New York’s marine waters.

The survey will collect samples of striped bass to measure levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and other contaminants to update commercial fishery restrictions and the State Department of Health’s consumption advisories for recreational anglers, as well as enhance the understanding of New York’s striped bass population. [Read more…] about Survey to Monitor Striped Bass Health in New York

Hudson River Atlantic Sturgeon: The River’s Largest Fish

July 9, 2022 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

Each June, biologists from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Fisheries Unit study the endangered adult Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) when the fish return to the Hudson River to spawn.

Atlantic sturgeon, the largest fish species in the Hudson River Estuary, are anadromous, which means they hatch in freshwater, spend most of their lives in saltwater, and return to freshwater to spawn. The Hudson River currently supports the largest population of Atlantic sturgeon along the Atlantic Coast, estimated to be between 1,000 and 1,500 fish.

Sturgeon were one of the types of fish commercially harvested by European settlers and one of the first “cash crops” of Albany, where they became known as “Albany Beef.” In the late 19th century, seven million pounds of sturgeon meat were exported from the US each year. That number soon dropped to 22,000 pounds. [Read more…] about Hudson River Atlantic Sturgeon: The River’s Largest Fish