Atlanto Scandian Herring Fisheries Management Plan

Executive Summary

The Atlanto-Scandian herring Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) is one of 43 FMPs set out in the Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS). It has been developed by the Scottish Government, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) with input from industry, scientists, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies (SNCBs).

This FMP sets out the policies and actions to manage the Atlanto-Scandian herring (ASH) stocks at sustainable levels, ensuring that they can continue to play a key role in providing positive socio-economic benefits to the UK, whilst also setting out a number of actions to improve management where this is needed.

ASH (Clupea harengus) is the generic term used for several stocks of herring, the largest of which is the Norwegian spring-spawning (NSS) herring. The FMP applies to sustainable management of ASH fisheries within UK waters of the ICES subareas 1, 2, and 5, and in divisions 4.a and 14.a and has been developed in line with the fisheries objectives of the Fisheries Act 2020 (the ‘2020 Act’) and as required by the JFS.

Overall management of this fishery is shared with coastal State partners. This international context is important to understand when considering sustainability and wider management issues. Fishing opportunities for ASH are managed by total allowable catches (TACs). The setting of TACs can be an effective way of managing fishing pressure on fish stocks. TACs and other joint management measures are agreed through international negotiations which are guided by the best available scientific advice, whilst also balancing environmental, social, and economic factors.

ASH is a pelagic stock caught almost exclusively by a pelagic targeting fleet within UK waters and also outside of UK waters. ASH is of commercial importance within UK waters, with the landed value by the UK fleet reaching £20 million in 2024. It is a stock which has sufficient evidence to assess maximum sustainable yield^[1] (MSY).

ASH is currently assessed as being fished within safe biological limits and is managed under a long‑term management strategy agreed between coastal States.

This FMP therefore describes a vision with policies and actions which set out how management can continue to support an MSY approach for the ASH fishery, and highlights areas that could lead to refinements to management approaches in the future. Areas for action include those which support the wider delivery of policies within the JFS and which contribute to the delivery of the objectives contained within the 2020 Act.