Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Rockaway Beach) today passed her third bill through the State Assembly, A.8273, extending the authority of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to manage Atlantic herring conservation through the end of 2020. That authority would otherwise have expired on December 31st of this year.

“Herring are a staple commercial fish, but they’re threatened, like many of our local species,” said Pheffer Amato. “Lots of us grew up eating herring, and many of my neighbors make their living fishing for them. With the growth of aquaculture, we need to ensure this vital species is protected from overfishing by big producers. Our children and their children should be able to enjoy herring as both a food and as a fishing harvest, and we must protect our threatened biodiversity with commonsense conservation measures such as this one.”