Biological characteristics of the catch from 1984-85 Pacific herring, Clupea harengus pallasi, roe fishery in California

In Tomales Bay, 5-, 6-, and 7-yr-old herring, Clupea harengus pallasi, composed 75% by number of the 1984-85 season's catch. In San Francisco Bay, 2-, 3-, and 4-yr-old herring composed 82% by number of the roundhaul catch, and 5-, 6-, and 7-yr-old herring composed 68% by number of the gill net catch. The percent of 4-yr-old herring increased to a record high level in the San Francisco Bay gill net catch. Recruitment of 2-yr-old herring into the San Francisco Bay roundhaul fishery was excellent, with 2-yr-old herring composing 41% of the catch. The growth rate of herring improved in both Tomales and San Francisco Bays, after the period of poor growth during the recent El Nino, when the weight of herring averaged 20% below normal. (23pp.

Biological characteristics of the catch from the 1985-86 Pacific herring, Clupea harengus pallasi, roe fishery in California

In Tomales Bay, 4-, 5-, and 6-yr-old herring, Clupea harengus pallasi, composed 70% by number of the 1985-86 season's catch. In San Francisco Bay, 2-, 3-, and 4-yr-old herring composed 78% by number of the roundhaul catch, and 4- and 5-yr-old herring composed 64% by number of the gill net catch. The percent of 4-yr-old herring in both the Tomales Bay catch (25% and San Francisco Bay gill net catch (39%) is at a high level for the second year in a row. Recruitment of 2-yr-old herring into the San Francisco Bay roundhaul fishery was about average, with 2-yr-old herring composing 33% of the catch. The mean length of herring in the San Francisco Bay roundhaul catch increased to 178 mm BL, while the mean length of the gill net catch remained 196 mm BL. The mean length of the Tomales Bay catch decreased to 198 mm BL due to the increased number of 3- and 4-yr-old herring in the catch. (18pp.

Atlantic Herring - A Keystone Species in the Northwest Atlantic

The Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) is one of the most important fishes in New England. This energy-rich species plays a vital role in the region's marine ecosystem, serving as food for many of the ocean's key predators. Recent research reveals that predators can consume 300,000 tons of herring a year— roughly three times the amount caught by fishermen annually. Given the major role herring play in the food chain, managers need to take into account the needs of predators when setting fishing limits for herring

Norwegian Sea Herring Stock Discrimination phase I (NORDISI)

There is growing concern among fishermen about the migration of North Sea herring into the Norwegian Sea. The Pelagic Freezer-trawler Association therefore commissioned IMARES to develop a technique to monitor possible catches of North Sea herring in the Norwegian Sea. This technique will use morphometric (shape) differences in herring to distinguish between Norwegian Sea spawning herring and North Sea herring. The results show that the model is able to distinguish Norwegian spring spawning herring from North Sea autumn or winter spawning herring. Overall we can conclude that even though we still have to overcome some methodological problems we are confident that this research constitutes a first step towards developing a technique to monitor catches of herring from the Norwegian Sea for Norwegian Spring spawning or other herring

Biological characteristics of the catch from the 1986-87 Pacific herring, Clupea harengus pallasi, roe fishery in California

In Tomales Bay, 4-, 5-, and 6-yr-old herring, Clupea harengus pallasi, composed 85% by number of the 1986-87 season's catch. In San Francisco Bay, 2-, 3-, and 4-yr-old herring composed 88% of the roundhaul catch, and 4-, 5-, and 6-yr-old herring composed 86% by number of the gill net catch. The age composition of both the Tomales Bay and San Francisco Bay gill net catch has shifted to primarily 4-, 5-, and 6-yr-old herring. Recruitment of 2-yr-old herring into the San Francisco Bay roundhaul fishery was good, with the 1985 yr class composing 37% of the catch. The mean length of herring in the San Francisco Bay roundhaul catch decreased to 174 mm BL, and the mean length of the gill net catch decreased to 194 mm BL. The mean length of the Tomales Bay catch also decreased to 197 mm BL. Average weight at age of Tomales Bay herring is below average for the fourth consecutive year. In San Francisco Bay the average weight at age is above average, even though length at age declined slightly. (20pp.

Biological characteristics of the catch from the 1990-91 Pacific Herring, Clupea pallasi, roe fishery in California

The Tomales-Bodega Bay catch during the past two seasons has been from the northern part of Bodega Bay, due to the closure of the Tomales Bay fishery. In the Tomales-Bodega Bay area, 4-, 5-, and 6-yr-old herring Clupea pallasi, comprised 79% by number of the 1990-91 season's gill net catch. The number of 4-yr olds (1987 year class) increased to 21% of the gill net catch. Four-yr olds are an indicator of recruitment strength into the gill net fishery. Average length of herring in the Tomales-Bodega Bay area gill net catch decreased due to a shift to younger herring in the catch, as well as, poor growth characteristics during 1990. Herring age and size data obtained from Tomales Bay with a variable mesh research gill net were similar to data from San Francisco Bay obtained with the same net. All age classes were taken and herring ranged in length from 148 mm to 226 mm. In San Francisco Bay, the age composition of the gill net catch was also primarily 4-, 5-, and 6-yr-old herring, which comprised 79% of the catch. In the round haul fishery 2- and 3-yr-old herring dominated, comprising 72% of the catch. The average length of herring in the San Francisco Bay gill net and round haul catches decreased. Both are the lowest recorded average lengths by the respective gear types except for the 1983-84 El Nino season. Observed poor growth characteristics this season are attributed to reduced upwelling off central California in 1990. (26pp.

Empty Rivers: The Decline of River Herring and the Need to Reduce Mid-Water Trawl Bycatch

Examines the effects of industrial mid-water trawlers on river herring populations along the East Coast and makes recommendations for how to protect herring stocks

Bycatch and Monitoring

Herring play a vital role in the North Atlantic ecosystem—serving as food for tuna, cod, striped bass, seabirds, dolphins and whales. But herring and their predators are threatened by industrial-scale fishing by midwater trawlers. Up to 165 feet in length, these ships are the largest fishing vessels on the East Coast, capable of netting 500,000 pounds of sea life in one tow. Although these vessels fish for Atlantic herring, the fish, birds and marine mammals that feed on herring schools are also vulnerable to accidental capture, injury or death in the trawlers' massive nets

Pacific herring, Clupea pallasi, studies and fishery management in Tomales Bay, 1993-94, with notes on Humbolt and Crescent City area landings

The 1993-94 spawning biomass estimate for Pacific herring, Clupea pallasi, in Tomales Bay declined 40% from last season to 2,449 tons. Although this estimate is below the 20-year average of 4,700 tons, the spawning biomass estimate this year is close to the post 1982 El Nino 11-year average of 2,054 tons. The overall trend of increasing biomass since the 1989-90 season still continues. There were eight distinct spawns this season, the most in five years, with the largest spawn occurring in late January. A total of 3.5 million m2 of eelgrass, Zostera marina, was measured in Tomales Bay this season. Eelgrass density increased in the majority of the beds. The commercial gillnet fleet in Tomales Bay caught a total of 219 tons of herring this season yielding an exploitation rate of 8.9%. Herring aged four, five, and six comprised 90% by number of this season's commercial gill net catch. Mean weight of herring ages three, six, and seven decreased slightly over last season while increases were seen for ages four, five, and eight. Mean length of commercial caught herring increased slightly over 1992-93. Department variable-mesh gill nets caught a total of 455 herring of which 232 were aged. The dominant age class was four-yr-olds comprising 27% of the sample by number, followed by six-yr-olds representing the highly successful 1988 year class. In Humboldt Bay, the 1993-94 commercial catch of 62.8 tons was about 5% over the 1993-94 season quota of 60 tons and was well above Humboldt Bay's 21-year average catch of 40.4 tons. Crescent City area herring fishermen caught 32.5 tons, approximately 2% over the season quota for the Crescent City area. The 1993-94 season commercial catch is well above the 20-year average of 23.7 tons for this area. (31pp.

Early-life-history profiles, seasonal abundance, and distribution of four species of Clupeid larvae from the northern Gulf of Mexico, 1982 and 1983

We present data on ichthyoplankton distribution, abundance, and seasonality and supporting environmental information for four species of coastal pelagics from the family Clupeidae: round herring Etrumeus teres, scaled sardine Harengula jaguana, Atlantic thread herring Opisthonema oglinum, and Spanish sardine Sardinella aurita. Data are from 1982 and 1983 cruises across the northern Gulf of Mexico sponsored by the Southeastern Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP). This is the first such examination for these species on a multiyear and gulfwide scale. Bioproflles on reproductive biology, early life history, meristics, adult distribution, and fisheries characteristics are also presented for these species. During the summer, larval Atlantic thread herring and scaled and Spanish sardines were abundant on the inner shelf <40 m depth), but were rare or absent in deeper waters. Scaled sardine and thread herring were found virtually everywhere inner-shelf waters were sampled, but Spanish sardines were rare in the north-central Gulf. During 1982, larval Atlantic thread herring were the most abundant of the four target c1upeid species, whereas Spanish sardine were the most abundant during 1983. On the west Florida shelf, Spanish sardine dominated larval c1upeid populations both years. Scaled sardine larvae were the least abundant of the four species both years, but were still captured in 25% of inner-shelf bongo net collections. Round herring larvae, collected February-early June (primarily March-April), were abundant on the outer shelf (40-182 m depth) and especially off Louisiana. Over the 2-year period, outer-shelf mean abundance for round herring was 40.2 larvae/10 m2; inner-shelf mean abundances for scaled sardine, Atlantic thread herring, and Spanish sardine were 14.9, 39.2, and 41.9 larvae/l0 m2, respectively. (PDF file contains 66 pages.