American Shad
Current Fishery
Commercial and recreational fishing for American Shad is prohibited in the Hudson River and the Marine District of New York. Recreational anglers may take three fish per day on the New York side of the Delaware River.
Management Action
American Shad are managed through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Due to significant declines in coastal landings of American Shad, ASMFC recommended a closure of all ocean fishing in 2005. A 2007 coast-wide ASMFC stock assessment followed the ocean closure and showed the Hudson River American Shad populations were in serious trouble. A complete closure of recreational and commercial fishing in the Hudson River began in 2009. A summary of the findings from this stock assessment can be found here. Staff are revising the Hudson River American Shad Recovery Plan, which will define the population goals required to re-open a Hudson River fishery.
The 2007 ASMFC Stock Assessment found the Delaware River population to be stable. Commercial and recreational fishing in the Delaware River Basin remains open, but requires an ASMFC approved Sustainable Fishing Plan every five years. The current Delaware River 2012-2016 plan can be found here. (link leaves DEC's website). As members of the Delaware Basin Fish and Wildlife Cooperative (Delaware Coop), NYSDEC staff are writing a new plan for 2017-2021.
Long-term monitoring
NYSDEC maintains three long-term monitoring programs for American Shad:
Hudson River Spawning Stock Survey
- 500 foot seine and electrofishing during April and May
- Collects lengths, weights, and ages of spawning American Shad
Hudson River Young-of-Year Survey
- 100 foot seine June through October
- Collects mean catch rates and lengths of newly hatched American Shad
- View a graph of the young of year American Shad abundance index
Non-tidal Delaware River Young-of-Year Survey
- Managed by the Delaware Coop
- 200 foot seine during August through October
- Collects mean catch rates and lengths of newly hatched American Shad
- View a graph of the non-tidal Delaware River young of year abundance index
Research Projects
2009-2012 Sonic Tagging Project
- Tagged 174 Adult American Shad with sonic transmitters
- Collected information on spawning areas, in-river residence times, and migration rates
- View a summary presentation on potential tagging effects and in-river movement of Hudson River American shad (PDF, 2.3 MB)
2009-2011 Predator Stomach Sample Project
- Collected 549 predator stomachs during young-of-year sampling projects
- Evaluated importance of shad species for predators in fresh and brackish waters of the Hudson River
More about American Shad :
- Non-tidal Delaware River Young of Year American Shad Catch Rates - View a graph of young of year Aemrican shad catch rates in the Delaware River
