Management of hickory shad should be consistent across Virginia. The DWR 10 per day hickory shad limit for Virginia rivers outside the Chesapeake Bay watershed is a reasonable model for beginning management of the Chesapeake Bay and tributary hickory shad spawning runs.
Conserving hickory shad will help protect against overfishing a species with an unknown population and undetermined abundance needed for a self-sustaining stock.
Unrestricted takes during hickory shad spawning runs reduces the potential for successful spawns.
Overfishing hickory shad risks depletion of the stock and jeopardizes the continued availability of a recreational fishery.
Unrecognized bycatch of American shad during unrestricted bulk takes of hickory shad undermines restoration efforts for this species.
A daily creel limit facilitates adjustment of allowed takes as conditions change.
Creel limits provide a practical measure for field inspection of hickory shad takes.
Hickory shad availability as a forage species for striped bass is diminished by unrestricted takes.
