YORK – Part of the New England herring fishery will be shut down for two weeks to allow the fish to spawn.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission says samples from Massachusetts and New Hampshire show a high number of spawning herring in the area. That means a stretch of coast and ocean from Cape Cod to southern Maine will close from Oct. 29 to Nov. 11.

The commission says herring boats will not be able to take or possess Atlantic herring and must have all fishing gear stowed when transiting through it.

Atlantic herring are a major fishery on the East Coast, where fishermen typically catch more than 150 million pounds of the fish per year. They are used as food and bait and to make products such as fish oil.