The Rensselaer Land Trust will sponsor a seine net fishing event to celebrate the Hudson River Estuary Program’s fourth annual Great Hudson Estuary Fish Count on Saturday, August 15. The event will be held from 11 am. until 1 pm at the main boat launch on the Hudson River at Schodack Island State Park.
[private]
Participants will have the opportunity to assist with netting fish species with a 40-foot seine net. Volunteers are also needed to use their social media skills to share catch results with other groups along the estuary by texting and/or posting to Twitter or Facebook. By comparing this information during the event, participants can help fish biologists and others better understand the diversity of fishes and habitats in the Hudson. Particularly important is the nursery habitat provided by the Hudson estuary; it is used by the young of fishes valuable to the entire Atlantic.
In 2012, ten sites were involved and 29 species of fish were found; in 2013, the event was held at 13 sites, but collected fewer species – only 19, perhaps due to the absence of submerged aquatic vegetation beds in the freshwater Hudson that summer. Last year’s results improved to 25 species at 17 sites, including a great number of young of the year fish, especially herring. More information about the Great Hudson Estuary Fish Count be found at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/97891.html.
“Let’s see what’s in the net!“ commented Fran Martino of River Haggie Outdoors who will orchestrate the seining. “Every haul brings new surprises, and we never know what we may find,” she continued. Martino collaborates with Rensselaer Land Trust to provide outreach and education about the Hudson River Fish Advisory Project that is designed to help all anglers and others who eat fish from the Hudson River to know about and follow the New York State fish advisories. Seine netting, canoe trips, school programs, library presentations and other events are offered to the general public free of charge though funding provided to Rensselaer Land Trust from Health Research Incorporated to present to the NYS Department of Health
The free program will be held at Schodack Island State Park located at 1 Schodack Way, Schodack Landing, New York. (Latitude 42.517994 Longitude -73.759697). – See more at: http://nysparks.com/parks/146/getting-there.aspx. Park entrance fees will be waived for volunteers who register in advance for this event. To register, please contact Sally Lawrence at 518.674.2669 or by email at lawres@sage.edu.[/private]