The herring fishery is hopeful for higher catch limits in the future, but 20 could be difficult years, Tooley said. Shortages of herring have complicated that in recent years, and bait crunches have resulted. Herring are economically important because lobster fishermen have used them to bait traps for generations. But it's going to challenge herring fishermen, said Mary Beth Tooley, director of government affairs for O'Hara Corp., a large Rockland, Maine-based bait dealer and herring harvester. That's good news for puffins, because small fish close to shore are vitally important for Puffin parents to be able to feed chicks, Lyons said.

They also include new rules that account for herring's role in the ecosystem, federal documents state. The restrictions include a prohibition on the use of certain fishing gear in inshore waters. The herring fishery is facing a new set of restrictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration starting on Feb.10. 'The decline of herring over the last decade or longer have not been good for puffins.” The kind of fish they do best on, that they best raise chicks feeding,” Lyons said.

'Herring are certainly a key food source for puffins. Puffins are dependent on small fish to survive, and new protection to the herring population could help them do that, said Don Lyons, director of conservation science for the National Audubon Society’s Seabird Institute in Bremen, Maine. The US catch of herring, based mostly in Maine and Massachusetts, fell from more than 200 million pounds in 2014 to less than 25 million pounds in 2019, according to Associated Press.Ī n Atlantic puffin carries bait fish it will feed its chick. The fishery has had to contend with quota cuts in recent years because of federal efforts to protect the fish's population, and more restrictions are on the way. Those same Gulf of Maine waters are an important area for the US herring fishery. Decades of conservation work have brought Maine's population of the birds to about 1,300 pairs that nest on small islands off the coast. Plants at home can improve your mental well-being: StudyĪtlantic puffins, known for their colourful beaks and waddling walks, were once nearly gone from Maine, the only US state where they nest. Privacy fears as Indian city of Lucknow readies facial recognition to spot harassed women The commercial fishery for herring has suffered in recent years due to new restrictions, but those same rules could benefit some of Maine's most beloved birds -puffins.Īvoid talking on subway and public transport to limit the spread of virus French doctors suggest The birds are dependent on the fish for survival. Puffins, known for their colourful beaks and waddling gait, will be chuffed up over new restrictions to save the herring. The oldest known puffin lived to be 29! That's quite a while for a cute little bird only about 10 inches tall.An Atlantic puffins congregate on Eastern Egg Rock, a small island off the coast of Maine. Eggs are laid at a rate of only one a year, but one is enough to keep both mommy and daddy busy with incubating the egg and bringing up baby.Īs far as is known, puffins live 20 years or more, but this is something there is more to learn about. These faithful birds tend to keep the same mate and same burrow every season. Puffins only come to land during breeding season, from April to August, living in burrows on cliffs and hillsides. Puffins are wonderful swimmers, able to 'fly' under water to catch their meals. Puffins are sea birds, and live most of their lives at sea, something which I would never be able to do without a good supply of 'Dramamine'. This is the only species of puffin to be found on the Atlantic coast. Later on I may post about the other types of puffins (three other species, to be exact), but for now lets look at this cutie. This lovely birdie is an Atlantic Puffin (fratercula arctica, by golly).Īlso called a 'Common Puffin', this is the type most often seen in pictures.

Puffin stuff