Spawning of American Shad (Alosa sapidissima) and Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) in the Mattaponi and Pamunkey Rivers, Virginia

In the Atlantic coastal region, American shad (Alosa sapidissima) is highly prized for its flesh and roe. Spawning runs have been heavily fished and since the late 1800s, landings have shown steady declines to the extent that Maryland declared a fishing moratorium in 1980, and Virginia followed in 1994 for Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries (ASMFC, 1999). Shad restoration projects are underway to restock depleted spawning runs, especially in regions where stream impediments have been or are being removed. Coastal ocean intercept gill-net fisheries have remained in place despite criticism and speculation about their impact on populations, particularly those river systems stocks that are depleted. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Shad Board (ASMFC, 1999) adopted a fishery management plan for American shad and river herring that included a five-year phase-out of the ocean fishery and that required states to develop an approved fishing or recovery plan for each stock under restoration. In Virginia, this requirement applies to the James and York rivers.