Forage fish provisioning pelagics off Grand Manan, and guidance for fisheries management

Abstract

Migrant Atlantic herring frequent Grand Manan waters, a major regional trophic hub, providing forage for seabirds, dolphins and other animals. Predators reveal much about the availability of the prey they eat. Publicly accessible monitoring data illustrate linkages between razorbill chick diets and juvenile herring via weir-fishery landings. Having been overfished, the status of extra-regional Gulf of Maine herring is dire, seemingly without institutional resolution. Many people hope that ocean ‘literacy’ ‒ increased marine scientific knowledge in individuals across society at large ‒ will guide legislative and bureaucratic institutions to be more responsible, take ethical actions and demonstrate accountability with respect to marine ecosystem conservation.