Introduction

Not long ago, Atlanto-Scandian herring was the most common among the herring inhabiting the world's oceans. Nowadays, despite the fact that its stock has been considerably depleted, it remains an important species from the point of view of commercial potential.

The term “Atlanto-Scandian herring” is commonly used to refer to three stocks: Norwegian spring-spawning herring, Icelandic spring-spawning herring, and Icelandic summer-spawning herring. Since the Norwegian spring-spawning herring is the largest of these three stocks, the term “Atlanto-Scandian” is often used as a synonym for this stock.

This chapter deals primarily with Norwegian spring-spawning herring, although some attention is paid to both of the Icelandic stocks as well. All three stocks have been subjected to similar changes in abundance during the last several decades. They were overexploited in the 1960s and 1970s but now two of them – Norwegian spring-spawning herring and Icelandic summer-spawning herring – have begun to recover.

The main countries dependent on the exploitation of Atlanto-Scandian herring are Norway, Iceland, and the USSR. Norway has jurisdiction over the main spawning grounds, feeding, and nursery areas, and also over one of the wintering areas; Iceland has jurisdiction over the southern wintering area, spawning, and feeding grounds. These two countries are the major biomass owners. Within the Soviet economic zone in the Barents Sea, there are nursery grounds of some year classes spawned off the Lofoten Islands (Norway).