"American shad, often called the “founding fish” for their historical and cultural significance, are on the brink of collapse in the James River, according to the latest State of the James report released Tuesday.
Levels of the fish have dropped so low that the species earned the only zero-percent score in the report’s history.
“It really is pretty dire,” said Bill Street, CEO of the nonprofit James River Association, on a call with members of the media. The group releases the report every two years. “It’s something that’s alarming to us. We don’t want to lose American shad and all that it has represented.”
Millions of the fish swam through the James in centuries past, using it for spawning grounds. Shad have dwindled for decades due to dams blocking their passage, invasive catfish preying on young fish, being entangled in nets meant for other species and more."
Katherine Hafner reports for the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot November 16, 2021.
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