Here are some fun, and not so fun facts about the american shad, the subject of “SOS: Saving Our Shad”
- Shad’s historic, cultural, and economic significance earned it the nickname the “Founding Fish.”
- between 1990 and present, shad returning to the delaware to spawn has declined from 500,000 to 300,000
- the primary cause of shad decline is dams, pollution and overfishing
- there are roughly 3000 dams in PA
- Shad stocks were in such poor condition that in 1980 Maryland imposed a moratorium on shad fishing except in the Potomac River and coastal waters.
I think the statistics your group chose are interesting and can definitely help frame your story