ICES herring advice sets 2027 catch limits for six areas, covering North Sea, Irish Sea, west of Scotland and western Baltic stocks.
ICES herring advice sets 2027 catch limits for six areas, covering North Sea, Irish Sea, west of Scotland and western Baltic stocks.
ICES has issued updated catch advice for six herring stocks and management areas covering the North Sea, Irish Sea, waters west of Scotland and Ireland, and the western Baltic. The advice sets catch limits for 2027, including several zero-catch recommendations where stocks remain below key reference points.
North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat and Eastern English Channel (Subarea 4; divisions 3.a and 7.d, autumn spawners)
ICES advises catches in 2027 should be no more than 396,680 tonnes when the long-term management strategy agreed by the EU, Norway and the UK is applied.
The advice notes this fishery includes western Baltic spring-spawning herring, which is below Blim, and states catches of that stock should be zero.
It says the fishery can reduce catches of western Baltic spring-spawners by avoiding fishing in the eastern parts of divisions 4.a and 4.b or in Division 3.a. ICES describes fishing pressure as below FMSY and spawning-stock size as above MSY Btrigger, BPA and Blim, while also highlighting low productivity and low recent recruitment.
Click here to read the advice in full.
Skagerrak, Kattegat and Western Baltic (Subdivisions 20–24, spring spawners)
ICES advises zero catch in 2027 and 2028 for western Baltic spring-spawning herring, implying zero catches in subdivisions 20–24 and in the eastern part of divisions 4.a and 4.b.
It states spawning-stock size is below MSY Btrigger, BPA and Blim, and says there are no catch scenarios that will rebuild the stock above Blim by 2029, even with zero catch. ICES also says recovery will be delayed if catches are not avoided across all management areas where the stock is taken, and calls for measures to protect and restore known spawning habitats and nursery areas.
The advice highlights that non-fishing impacts are substantial for the stock, particularly for early life stages.
Click here to read the advice in full.
Division 6.a South of 56°00’N and West of 07°00’W and 7.b–c (Northwest and
West of Ireland)
ICES advises catches in 2027 should be no more than 153 tonnes under the MSY approach.
The advice states the fishery includes fish from Division 6.a North, which is below Itrigger, and says catches of 6.a North herring should be no more than 24 tonnes to be consistent with advice.
It adds that catches of 6.a North herring can be minimised by avoiding fishing on summer feeding aggregations. ICES describes fishing pressure as above the HRMSY proxy and the stock size index as below Itrigger. It also advises that no activities on spawning habitats should be allowed unless assessed and shown not to be detrimental.
West of Scotland (Division 6.a North, autumn spawners)
ICES advises catches in 2027 should be no more than 24 tonnes under the MSY approach.
The advice notes the fishery includes fish from divisions 6.a South and 7.b–c, which are below Itrigger, and says catches of 6.a South and 7.b–c herring should be no more than 153 tonnes to align with advice.
It adds that catches of the southern and west-of-Ireland component can be minimised by avoiding summer feeding aggregations. ICES describes the stock as below Itrigger with fishing pressure above the HRMSY proxy, and flags uncertainty linked to limited sampling and possible distribution shifts affecting how survey signals are interpreted.
It also advises that no activities on spawning habitats should be allowed unless assessed and shown not to be detrimental.
Click here to read the advice in full.
Irish Sea (Division 7.a North of 52°30’N)
ICES advises catches in 2027 should be no more than 3,716 tonnes under the MSY approach. The advice states the Irish Sea fishery includes fish from the Celtic Sea herring stock, which is below Blim, and says catches of the Celtic Sea stock in the Irish Sea should be zero to be consistent with the advice framework.
ICES also states it cannot advise on measures to avoid catch of Celtic Sea herring in the fishery for Irish Sea herring. It describes fishing pressure as above FMSY and FPA, while spawning-stock size is below MSY Btrigger and BPA and above Blim.
The advice highlights uncertainty linked to mixed-stock dynamics and limited ability to quantify mixing in commercial catches.
Click here to read the advice in full.
Celtic Sea, Southern Irish Sea and Southwest of Ireland (Divisions 7.a South, 7.g–h and 7.j–k)
ICES advises there should be zero catch in each of 2027 and 2028 when the MSY approach and precautionary considerations are applied.
It describes fishing pressure as below FMSY, but spawning-stock size as below MSY Btrigger, BPA and Blim. ICES states there are no catch scenarios that will rebuild the stock above Blim by 2029, and that the zero-catch advice is unchanged from the previous year.
The advice notes mixing with Irish Sea autumn-spawning herring in the Irish Sea and says the consequences of this mixing on the stock are being evaluated. It also advises that no activities on spawning habitats should be allowed unless assessed and shown not to be detrimental.
