How is herring caught and is it a sustainable resource?
he herring fishery in eastern North America employs mid-water trawlers and purse seiners, referred to as mobile gear, and stationary fixed gear netting known as weirs. Generally, purse seiners and weirs are the favored fishing methods in Canada, while mid-water trawlers account for the larger proportion of the U.S. catch. Herring caught by seiners and trawlers are quickly chilled and sent to the cannery for processing. Weirs are a traditional type of fishing equipment that are strategically placed in coves or along shorelines frequented by schools of herring. They are constructed by driving wooden poles into the seabed in a semi-circular pattern and hanging netting to the poles to corral the fish. Once fish enter the main holding area of the weir, they are trapped. The trapped fish are then taken by boat from the weir directly to the cannery where they are quickly processed to ensure the best possible quality. Weirs dot the coast of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in the Bay of Fundy and
