Spawning stock 23% lower than last year
Less has been seen in the Norwegian-Icelandic herring in the winter expedition of the Norwegian Marine Research Institute, the Hav Foreign Affairs. The spawning stock is estimated to be around 23% lower this year than last year.
The expedition took place on February 15 to March 3 on the tickets from Mær in Northwest Iceland to the continental shelf out of Tromsö in Northern Norway. The research vessels Eros and Go Sars participated.
« Based on our observations with echo meters and trolls, we estimate that the spawning stock has been 23 percent lower in tonnes, » says Are Salthaug expedition manager in entry on the Norwegian Agency’s website.
He points out that this expedition is specifically trying to measure the spawning stock and that it is only one of the more measurements made on the Norwegian-Icelandic herring. « But this year’s contraction is in line with previous forecasts and advice on total catch. »
The distribution of blue whiting mackerel and Norwegian-Icelandic herring. There are no agreements on the division of catch shares between the coastal states.
Map/mbl.is
Most of the herring was found out of Lofot and Vesterålen, but as in the past three years little has been seen in the traditional spawning paths south of Röstbanki.
The prevailing cohort in the spawning stock is still the herring of 2016, which is nine years old, which was estimated at 56% of the stock.
Review Methods
The post draws attention to the fact that scientists from the International Maritime Research Council (ICES) are currently working on reviewing a method of stock assessment of Norwegian-Icelandic herring. It can therefore be intended for changes to be made on how to calculate the total amount of herring in the sea.
It is expected that the revised calculation of stock size will be presented early summer and that advice on the total catch of 2026 will be announced this fall.
Norwegian-Icelandic herring is one of three pelagic stocks in the Northeast Atlantic, which so-called coastal states have failed to reach agreement on utilization.
