by Dorie Stolley, Coordinator and Outreach Manager for
Rainbow smelt are similar in lifestyle to the mighty alewife
and blueback herring. These diminutive forage fish are anadromous - they hatch
in freshwater, travel to the ocean to grow to adulthood, then, return annually
to their natal waters to reproduce. Once they were widely celebrated throughout coastal
Massachusetts in late winter for their savory flavor as hordes were caught,
coated in flour, fried and eaten with gusto. Now, only a few tenacious
fishermen and their families experience this delight. Overfishing, pollution
and dams are a few of the factors to blame for the decline of this once
regionally important fish.
Two centuries ago rainbow smelt spawned in rivers as far south
as the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia; now their southernmost spawning area is in
Buzzard’s Bay in southeastern Massachusetts. Rainbow smelt numbers have been
dropping since the 1800’s when people caught them in nets by the thousands during the late
winter spawning runs. Harvesting large numbers of fish before they were allowed
to reproduce in this manner was blamed for a noticeable decrease in smelt
numbers, and in 1868 the Massachusetts State legislature banned the taking of
smelt by net during the spawning run. By 1874, all methods of fishing except
hook and line were forbidden year-round in all but a few rivers. While some local
smelt fisheries reported a rebound, statewide the decline continued right up
until 2004 when the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) declared them a federal Species of Concern. Now, work is underway to better
understand the reasons for the decline and to restore their numbers across
Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.
To restore smelt, their basic spawning needs must be met;
these can be summed up in a few words: clean,
flowing water. To a rainbow smelt, clean
water means very low levels of dissolved contaminants, nutrients and sediment,
all of which can kill vulnerable eggs. Flowing
water means enough water to swim in, as well as the absence of obstacles, like
dams or improperly positioned culverts, which can impede movement upstream to
prime spawning areas of fairly fast-flowing, highly oxygenated water.
When we work to benefit rainbow smelt, we increase the
health of a river delivering a myriad of benefits to other wildlife, to humans
and to the watershed as a whole. For instance, removing derelict dams allows
smelt, river herring and other migratory fish to move along the river, and also
can decrease the risk of catastrophic flooding, liability to the dam owner, and
mosquito breeding habitat and increase human recreational opportunities. In
another example, filtering polluted rainwater runoff from roads before it gets
to our streams will increase water quality for all living creatures that live
in it or drink it, including people.
The State of Massachusetts is working with New Hampshire and
Maine to develop a regional plan to conserve and restore smelt. We can also do
our part for smelt, herring and other wildlife that depend on our region’s
rivers. Most measures are relatively easy such as leaving streamside vegetation
in place or planting streamside trees and shrubs. Other measures provide both cost
savings and habitat benefits, such as using minimal fertilizer on lawns and
gardens. Asking your town to reduce its use of road salt and sand near streams
and supporting the purchase of conservation lands that include spawning streams
provide additional benefits.
To make an even bigger difference and add your voice to that
of your neighbors, join your local watershed association. These groups are
working together to improve water quality, human and ecosystem health, and
recreational opportunities. Find your
watershed organization by visiting watershedaction.org.
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| School of rainbow smelt |
Images and information from:
Informative website - http://restorerainbowsmelt.com
Brochure on rainbow smelt http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/species/rainbow_smelt_brochure_08102010.pdf
Rainbow Smelt Conservation Plan for the Gulf of Maine http://restorerainbowsmelt.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Smelt-Conservation-Plan-final.pdf
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