Adult Atlantic herring can range from 20 – 38 cm in length, and feed on minute organisms like planktonic crustaceans and fish larvae. Female herring spawn up to 40,000 eggs, which hatch in around two weeks.
Fishing takes place in the North Atlantic Ocean (FAO area 27) from July to October. Atlantic herring is a highly migratory stock, distributed across large parts of the North East Atlantic.
The stock is managed multilaterally by five coastal parties: Norway, Russia, Iceland, the EU and the Faroe Islands.
Atlantic herring is caught with a mid-water pelagic trawl (OTM).
The total catch of Atlantic herring has been:
2010 | 2,203,687 MT
2011 | 1,780,268 MT
2012 | 1,773,235 MT
2013 | 1,817,333 MT
2014 | 1,630,629 MT
2015 | 1,512,200 MT
2016 | 1,639,800 MT
2017 | 1,816,000 MT
2018 | 1,822,500 MT
2019 | 1,559,000 MT
2020 | 1,481,000 MT E
2021 | –
E=Expected
Source: FAO, PFF
Nutritional Values per 100g edible portion
| Water | 6o g | Total Lipid (fat) | 13.2 g |
| Calories | 190 kcal | Omega-3 | 1.8 g |
| Protein | 17.8 g |
Source: Frosta International
Headed and gutted (H&G)
| 2 x 10 kg | 2 x 15 kg |
Whole-round (WR)
| 2 x 10 kg | 2 x 15 kg |
Streamlined and fast-swimming, the Atlantic mackerel is known for its ability to migrate across enormous distances.
Evasive behaviour and camouflage is what Pacific chub mackerel relies onto stay hidden from its predators.
Similar to sardine, sardinella are more brightly coloured when freshly caught.
A small codfish, blue whiting is unique among the cod family as an entirely open ocean pelagic fish.
A highly fertile species, Pacific herring can be found from the Californian coast to Japan.
Pacific sardine reaches maximum length of 30 cm and weight of 140 gr.