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Herring or sild
Clupea harengus
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BIOLOGY
Herring belongs to the same family of fish (clupeids) as sprat (which is also referred to as sild by some retailers) and pilchard. It can grow to greater than 40cm, although size differs between 'races' (distinct breeding stocks). Most herring landed are around 25cm. Herring are sexually mature at between 3-9 years (depending on stock) and populations include both spring and autumn spawners. At least one population in UK waters spawns in any one month of the year. Herring have an important role in the marine ecosystem as a transformer of plankton at the bottom of the food chain to higher trophic or feeding levels e.g. for cod, seabirds and marine mammals.
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ADVICE
The largest single fishery is for Atlantic herring which is fished throughout much of the North Atlantic. In European waters, herring is managed by a system of Total Allowable Catches and quotas. The North Sea stock has recovered from a depleted state, however it is not yet above the precautionary limits recommended by scientists. The main reason for this is a prolonged period of poor recruitment which is yet to be explained, however scientists consider fishing effort to be a minor factor and it is likely due to environmental conditions. Stocks in the southern part of the Clyde Sea off Scotland's west coast are depleted and fish from this stock should be avoided. Drift net fisheries in Thames Blackwater and the Eastern English Channel are certified as environmentally sustainable fisheries by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). A number of pelagic trawl and purse seine fisheries (the two main methods used in the North East Atlantic) are certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.
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