Maine Rivers See Record Alewife Run After Dam Removals

Maine counted over 20 million river herring, also known as alewife, during their annual run, the highest count in decades. The remarkable recovery follows years of declining populations stemming from dam construction beginning in the 18th century and exacerbated by commercial overfishing.

Starting in 1999, efforts to remove dams and implement fish channels began, culminating in a moratorium on offshore alewife fishing in 2016 and the recent population surge. The alewife is ecologically important, acting as a “nutrient conveyor belt” from the ocean to inland ecosystems and historically serving as a vital food source for both humans and wildlife.

The Passamaquoddy tribe calls the fish siqonomeq, meaning “the fish that feeds all.” The Penobscot River, where two dams were removed, is considered a prime example of successful river restoration. Officials and locals are celebrating the return of this important fish, once on the brink of disappearing from Maine’s rivers.