Contrasting fishing effort reduction and habitat connectivity as management strategies to promote alewife ( <scp> <i>Alosa pseudoharengus</i> </scp> ) recovery using an ecosystem model

Small pelagics, or forage fish, link lower and higher trophic levels in marine food webs. Recently, attention has been given to the management of including anadromous river herring (Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus, blueback A. aestivalis) American shad (A. sapidissima) due their current depleted status historically important ecological economic roles. Little is known about impact changes biomass on webs what practices will promote recovery. Estimated historical riverine productivity was utilized evaluate potential ecosystem impacts increasing ocean connectivity resemble 19th-century conditions. The Ecopath with Ecosim modeling framework used simulate strategies, focused by creating scenarios fisheries reduction (mixed fishery effort reduction) habitat (75% achieved). Sixty-year simulations covered entire time series a 36-year forecast period strategies. Results suggest nonlinear relationships large flows from fish upper Gulf Maine ecosystem. Increases were observed for pelagic sharks, demersal piscivores, species conservation concern such as pinnipeds seabirds, although overall results strongly influenced indirect effects. Promoting recovery through increased resulted redundancy niches that would increase resilience climate, fisheries, other perturbations. This study highlights value employing models testing contrast different approaches recover towards its former prominence.