DELAWARE RIVER SHAD FISHERMEN’S ASSOCIATION
4110 Shannon Ave.
Bethlehem, PA 18020
Email: shadfisherman@aol.com
Suggested Delaware River Basin Shad Restoration Plan:
1. Harvest Reductions:
a. Delaware Bay Commercial Harvest(2/3 Reduction)b. Recreational Fishing Harvest (1/2 Reduction-3 in possession.) c. Ocean Harvest(100% continuation until self-sustaining population goals are met.)
d. Egg-taking From Delaware Shad Spawners supplemented by other sources until self-sustaining population goals are reached.
2. American Shad Stamp ($5.) like the successful Lake Erie Permit and Trout Stamp for funding.
3. Lowering striper size limit and increasing possession limit by 50%
to reduce predation.
4. Consideration of a reduction in Lehigh River walleye and muskellunge stocking.
5. Netting, tagging and telemetry shad studies for Fish Passage Evaluation on Lehigh, Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers and their tributaries.
6. "Schools in Schools" program to connect young people at all school
levels to Shad Restoration just like the highly successful Jim Cummins' Potomac River Basin program.
7. Immediate establishment of Spawning Shad Goals for self-sustaining
populations by 2010:
a. Delaware River- 2 Million
b. Lehigh River- 350 Thousand-800 Thousand
c. Schuylkill River- 350 Thousand-800 Thousand
8. Increased shad fry releases for at least a five-year period until 2012:
a. Delaware River- 5 Million/yr.
b. Lehigh River- 2 Million/yr.
c. Schuylkill River- 2 Million/yr.
(Suggested fertilized egg sources: Conowingo, Chesapeake Bay, Columbia, Connecticut, Cooper or Hudson rivers or USF&WS hatcheries.)
9. Removal of Lehigh River dams at Easton, Chain (Glendon), Allentown, and Cementon by 2010 and their replacement with pumping stations similar to the one successfully supplying water to the canal from Riegelsville to New Hope,PA.
10.Re-allocation of Resources and Re-emphasis to the Delaware River Basin Shad Restoration Plan:
a. A full-time Fisheries Coordinator-PF&BC to work closely with Delaware River Fish and Wildlife Co-operative.
b. Monthly meetings for charting the progress of the most economically and recreationally valuable fishery (Shad and other Anadromous fish) in the Delaware River Basin.(20 Million+ citizens and potential fishing license- holders and conservation-minded stakeholders live within 1 1/2 hours of the Delaware River Basin.)
11. Haul-seine spawning shad at base of Easton and Chain Dams and”Trap and Transfer” in trucks with circular 3000 gallon tanks with aerators above Allentown and Cementon Dams in the Lehigh river.
We believe strongly that our investment in the suggested Delaware River Basin Shad Restoration Plan will yield the highest return on our resources for the great majority of our citizens and we urge you to implement it as soon as possible.
Board and Members /Delaware River Shad Fishermen's Assoc.
Pres. George Magaro Sr.
shadpappy1@verizon.net
