Herring has been fished by North East Atlantic countries for millennia – records date back as far as 3,000 BC. There are 9 different stocks, or populations, of herring in the region. Atlanto-Scandian herring (ASH), also known as Norwegian spring-spawning herring (NSSH), is the focus of NAPA’s work. It is found in the Norwegian and Barents Seas and is the largest herring stock in the world. ASH is mainly fished by Norway, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Russia. It is important for both human consumption and for reduction into fish meal and fish oil to create animal and fish feed.
However, the ASH population has been declining since 2010. In 2024, it dipped below the threshold at which scientists recommend reducing fishing pressure. If this advice is not followed the stock could continue to drop further, but Coastal States have not yet heeded these warnings. Total catches have been higher than scientific advice since 2013, averaging a startling 31% above each year.
The ASH fishery was Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified until 2020, when certification was suspended after countries failed to reach a quota-sharing agreement. Some countries (Iceland, Faroe Islands, Norway, Russia and the UK) have signed up to a Long-term Management Strategy (LTMS). The LTMS has a stated aim to keep the stock above a certain level but has no mechanism – such as individual quota shares – to ensure that fishing pressure remains within scientific advice.
Through NAPA’s North East Atlantic mackerel and Atlanto-Scandian herring Fishery Improvement Project we want to achieve certification for ASH once more, and help to protect not only the stock but the businesses that rely on it. We are calling for the Coastal States catching ASH to re-establish effective international cooperation to ensure that combined quotas are within sustainable limits.
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