Between 1992 and 2017, state and federal fisheries agencies in Virginia ultimately stocked more than 100 million American shad fry in the James River. Although stocked fish were returning to the James, the total annual numbers did not demonstrate a trend toward a restored American shad population. Due to a multitude of factors such as offshore fisheries, invasive species, incomplete habitat connectivity due to dams, and water pollution, the American shad’s progress toward recovery in its native range continues to be limited. These impacts, coupled with a lack of dedicated funding, culminated in the suspension of the stocking program in 2017.
