By James Prosek
Alewives are a type of fish that travel downstream from their birthplace to the ocean, then travel back up to breed, like salmon. They live on the East Coast and were missing for hundreds of years due to dams. But as the state of Maine is taking dams down for environmental and upkeep reasons, they are returning to the rivers again.
The millions of fish that swim up river in the springtime run also serve as food for many animals, among them bears, raccoons, and skunks. They are also important to many fishermen. When the alewives were missing, many of them used frozen Atlantic herring, which wasn't as good as using fresh alewives. Plus, "...they feed us spiritually. Nature’s show of resilience at Mill Brook this year seemed especially poignant amid all the uncertainty and worry about the COVID-19 pandemic."
No comments:
Post a Comment