Scientists say significantly more shad and blueback herring have found their way into Maine waters this year. They attribute this recovery to dam removal and habitat restoration.

Sean Ledwin, director of the Bureau of Sea-Run Fisheries and Habitat at the Maine Department of Marine Resources, said several rivers are seeing strong fish populations again this year after record counts in 2023.

Ledwin said that at Benton Falls on the Sebasticook River (a tributary of the Kennebec River), more than 6 million fish were counted — far more than last year. At China Lakes, more than 3 million were counted.