Life history and exploitation of the Norwegian spring spawning herring
Abstract
This paper is a review of the history and exploitation of the
Norwegian spring spawning herring stock. In a virgin state the biomass
of this stock may have ranged from 15 to 20 million tonnes and it was
the most important fish resource in the Northeast Atlantic. The adult
stock utilized the rich plankton production along the Polar Front in
the Norwegian Sea but spawned during winter on the Norwegian west
coast. These spawners formed the basis for the largest fishery in
Europe for centuries. The young and adolescent herring are distributed
in Norwegian coastal waters and in the Barents Sea where they
constitute the most important prey species or many stocks of
predators, both of fish , birds and mammals.
Due to technical advances the exploitation of the herring increased
tremendously in the 1960's and the adult stock was fished out
completely in 1970. Some small components of juvenile herring did
however survive, and spawned on the traditional spawning grounds in
1973. After spawning the herring did not migrate to the traditional
feeding area in the Norwegian Sea, but remained i n Norwegian coastal
waters throughout the year. In later years the stock has recovered
slowly, but the old traditional migration pattern of herring between
the Polar Front area and the Norwegian coast has not yet been
retained. It is concluded that the break down of the life cycles of
the herring is the prime reason for the recent crisis which has
developed in the Barents Sea stocks and fisheries.
Description
Biology and fisheries of the Norwegian spring spawning herring and blue whiting in the Northeast Atlantic. Proceedings of the fourth Soviet-Norwegian Symposium. Bergen, 12 - 16 June 1989.
Series
PINRO-IMR Symposium4