HERRING Clupea harengus

Advice 2024/2025

81 367

tonnes

Advice 2023/2024

92 634

tonnes

Advice change

-12 %

Publication of Advice: 7. June 2024. Published by Marine and Freshwater Research Institute.


Advice

MFRI and ICES advise that when the Icelandic management plan is applied, catches in the fishing year 2024/2025 should be no more than 81 367 tonnes.

Stock development

Fishing pressure on the stock is below HRMGT, HRpa and HRlim. Spawning stock size is above Btrigger, Bpa and Blim.

0 50 100 150 1981 1991 2001 2011 2021 Þús. tonn F l o t v a r p a H r i n g n ó t R e k n e t Afli 0 400 800 1200 1600 2000 2400 1981 1991 2001 2011 2021 Milljónir N ý l i ð u n ( 2 á r a ) H R M G T H R M S Y H R p a H R l i m 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Veiðihlufall B p a B t r i g g e r B l i m 0 200 400 600 800 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 Þús. tonn H r y g n i n g a r s t o f n V i ð m i ð u n a r s t o f n Lífmassi

Herring. Catch by gear type, recruitment, harvest rate based on reference stock biomass (B4+). All biomass reference points refer to SSB levels (MSY Btrigger = MGT Btrigger = Bpa).

Basis of the assessment and reference points

Prospects

Herring. Assumptions made for the interim year and in the forecast.

Herring. Projection of reference biomass and SSB (tonnes) based on harvest control rule.

The advice has changed by -12% due to a change in stock perception.

Quality of the Assessment

Since 2024 the stock is assessed using a catch-at-age based assessment model (SAM) (ICES, 2024). Ichthyophonus infection mortality has been revaluated for the period 2008-2023, resulting in applying lower infection mortality than previously.

H R M G T H R M S Y H R p a H R l i m B t r i g g e r R e f e r e n c e b i o m a s s S S B H a r v e s t r a t e R e c r u i t m e n t 2012 2016 2020 2024 2012 2016 2020 2024 2012 2016 2020 2024 2012 2016 2020 2024 0 200 400 600 800 0 200 400 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0 200 400 600

Herring. Current assessment (red line) compared with previous estimates (2020–2023). The reference points and assessment were revised in 2024, and only assessment results from the last year should be compared to the reference points indicated.

Other information

Herring. Fishing grounds in fishing season 2023/2024 (t/nmi2).

The herring fishery 2023/2024 took place in offshore waters west and east of Iceland. The total catch amounted to 94 422 tonnes, where 66 396 tonnes were caught west of Iceland mostly in October-January, and 28 022 tonnes in the east in July-November as bycatch in the fishery for Norwegian spring-spawning herring and mackerel. The catch was caught in pelagic trawl.

Infection of Ichthyophonus still persists in the stock, but at lower rates. This is considered in both the assessment and the management plan.

Advice, TAC and Catch

Herring. Recommended TAC, national TAC, and catches (tonnes). Catches represents sum of the winter catches and the summer catches in the preceding fishing year.

References and further reading

MFRI Assessment Reports 2024. Herring. Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, 7 June 2024.

ICES. 2024. Workshop on the assessment and management plan evaluation for Icelandic herring (WKICEHER). ICES Scientific Reports. 6:37. 91 pp. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.25605135