The herring fishery along the New England coast was shut down Tuesday until further notice.

The National Marine Fisheries Service said fishermen in the inshore Gulf of Maine – from Cape Cod to the eastern edge of the Maine coast – have caught about 90 percent of their quota.

Herring are an important bait fish, especially for the lobster industry. A shortage of the fish in offshore waters caused a bait shortage in New England during the summer.

The fish are also used as food. Fishermen typically catch between 175 million and 200 million pounds of Atlantic herring every year.