WITH AMERICAN SHAD STOCKS AT HISTORICALLY LOW LEVELS, GOVERNOR PATERSON ANNOUNCES NEW INITIATIVES TO REBUILD AND PROTECT HUDSON RIVER FISHERIES

State to Participate in New Private/Public Partnership to Support Estuary Management

Governor David A. Paterson today announced a new set of initiatives aimed at developing a better understanding of the Hudson River estuary ecosystem and restoring several imperiled fish species, including the American shad. This comprehensive program addresses several needs that are expected to help rebuild fish stocks, assess the potential causes of fishery decline, and examine other aspects of the Hudson River ecosystem to determine the River’s health and ways to improve it.

“The Hudson River American shad fishery is an extraordinary natural resource which has been severely damaged over the years,” said Governor David A. Paterson. “The demise of this historically important species is a clear warning sign alerting us to the need to act before the damage is irreversible. Today, I am announcing that the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will take action to obtain the critical information our scientists need to help restore the Hudson’s fisheries and further enhance the Hudson River ecosystem. With leadership provided by Commissioner of Environmental Conservation Pete Grannis, the state will take action to rebuild our fisheries and improve our rivers and coastal marine resources.”

The Governor unveiled a new environmental recovery plan for American shad that will implement management actions in the Hudson River estuary and focus studies to better understand the role of this fish within the estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. American shad stocks are at historic lows throughout the Atlantic Coast and, along with several other important marine species, are in need of specific dedicated efforts to address the causes of the decline and rebuild the population. New York biologists are particularly concerned that the shad spawning stock (adult fish) have become smaller and younger, and mortality has increased to excessive and unacceptable levels.

The shad recovery plan, to be implemented by DEC and other partners, will address many of the suspected causes of the fishery’s decline. Over-fishing, habitat loss, increased populations of predatory species and competition for food sources are among the many factors to be evaluated. The long-term goal of the plan is to restore shad to healthy and sustainable population levels. This will be achieved by:

Continuing ongoing American shad monitoring programs that annually track current conditions and progress being made towards recovery;

Reducing shad mortality in rivers and oceans and at water intakes throughout all stages of life through DEC’s permitting processes;

Characterizing and reducing the unintentional catching (known as “bycatch”) of shad during commercial fishing for other species;

Characterizing and restoring critical spawning and nursery habitats; and

Conducting additional ecosystem studies that analyze the food web, including the effects of predators and invasive species.

Efforts undertaken in this shad recovery plan are anticipated to have significant benefits for many other species, including Atlantic sturgeon, striped bass, fluke, sharks, scup, winter flounder, butterfish, sea turtles and dolphins. The information obtained through the implementation of the plan will assist the state in developing management plans for these and other species.

While New York has historically implemented efforts to help improve shad populations, this fish only spends part of its life in the Hudson and Delaware Rivers and other state waters. Governor Paterson noted that actions on the federal level are needed and have been advocated by New York to prevent shad populations from being indiscriminately harvested by commercial trawlers seeking other species. The Governor called upon the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service to accelerate federal action to protect this important fishery.

DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said: “New York has already begun to take steps to rebuild shad and other fisheries, but much more can and must be done. We look forward to working on this recovery plan and other innovative efforts being put forth by Governor Paterson to restore the Hudson River’s delicate and unique ecosystem and several other important coastal marine fisheries.”

Governor Paterson also announced today that New York is participating in a new private/public partnership called the Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System (HRECOS). This collaborative monitoring network will use stations located throughout the Hudson to provide data and other information essential to the management of the estuary. Seven scientific monitoring stations have been established throughout the Hudson River at Schodack Island, Tivoli Bays North, Tivoli Bays South, Norrie Point, Piermont Pier, George Washington Bridge (NJ) and Castle Point (NJ). The network provides continuous information about the estuary’s conditions including temperature, oxygen levels, salinity, weather, tides, and some types of pollution that have the potential to affect the health and well-being of the Hudson’s ecosystem.

The website, www.hrecos.org, provides real-time information about each site. New York State will be supporting and enhancing the backbone of the monitoring network. Other partners are providing support as well including the Hudson River Foundation, Columbia University, Stevens Institute of Technology, and the federal Research Reserve System. The data will also enhance DEC’s educational programs for students by linking to the annual “Day in the Life of the Hudson River” event for schools and its web-based river curriculum, which offers lesson plans developed from scientific data collected by DEC biologists. For more information, go to http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5102.html.

The actions announced today are part of the comprehensive work of the state’s Hudson River Estuary Program to improve fisheries and habitat, foster recreation, and protect water quality (http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4920.html). Similar state-initiated research efforts are already underway in the Hudson River, including a recovery program for Atlantic sturgeon. State biologists are tagging and tracking Atlantic sturgeon to learn more about spawning areas, habitat preferences, and how long the fish stay in the River during their spawning run (http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/37121.html). With this information, DEC can then work to protect areas important to these fish as part of a long-term management strategy.

In addition, as part of the permitting process for facilities like power plants, the state assesses the impacts water intakes can have on fish larvae and eggs. The number of fish entering water intake pipes each year at the two Indian Point nuclear power plants alone is significant – over 1.2 billion fish eggs and larvae, including bay anchovy, striped bass, and Atlantic tomcod – with the vast majority dying during the process. Another 1.18 million fish per year become trapped against intake screens and likely die. DEC also recently issued two enhanced general permits to reduce polluted runoff in urban areas and from construction sites and which contain heightened protections to prevent runoff from impacting Hudson River watershed and fisheries.