Baltic herring
- A silent collapse beneath the waves
For centuries, the Baltic herring has been an essential part of life in the Baltic Sea.
It plays a crucial role in the marine ecosystem, supports coastal communities, and is deeply rooted in regional traditions. But today, herring stocks are declining, and this could have long-term consequences for nature and people alike.
The Baltic herring
The Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras) is a subspecies of the Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), specifically adapted to the brackish waters of the Baltic Sea. Herrings are fish that migrate to and from their coastal mating and breeding grounds and primarily live in the open sea for the majority of their lives.
It may be one of the most critical species in the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea. As prey, herring provides food for its primary predators, such as cod, seals, seabirds, and harbour porpoises, thus keeping ecological balance. Whereas herrings, especially the larger ones, play an important role as predators and help regulate the populations of fish like sticklebacks, which in turn helps keep the levels of phytoplankton and algae blooms down.
Herrings also feed on zooplankton and crustaceans, acting as links between different levels of the Baltic Sea food web and thus fulfilling an essential role in the Baltic Sea ecosystem.
The Baltic herring is not a single, uniform population but rather consists of many genetically distinct subpopulations and even a newly found piscivorous herring species.
For management purposes the Baltic herring is divided into four stocks:
- the Bothnian herring (SD 30–31)
- the Central Baltic Herring (SD 25–29 and 32, excluding the Gulf of Riga)
- the Gulf of Riga herring (SD 28.1)
- the Western Baltic herring (SD 20–24)
Herring stocks in the Baltic Sea are facing serious challenges, with three out of the four in significant decline. In the central Baltic Sea, herring numbers have dropped by over 80% since the 1970s, with a 40% decrease occurring in just the past four years—bringing the stock to a critical level.
In contrast, the herring stock in the Gulf of Riga remains stable and has even shown growth over the past two decades, making it the only Baltic herring stock not currently under severe pressure.
[Image credit: FishSec]
One of the main factors behind the dramatic decline in herring is industrial-scale fishing for fishmeal and fish oil. Large offshore trawlers target herring during their wintering period, when the fish gather in deeper waters — removing significant numbers before they have the opportunity to spawn. Additionally, the expansion of large-scale herring fishing closer to coastal areas has further disrupted marine ecosystems and placed added pressure on small-scale, coastal fisheries.
Without a more sustainable management strategy for the Baltic herring , the risk of long-term ecological damage continues to grow.
There's also a worrying trend in the size of herring, with fish getting smaller over the years, which could affect their ability to reproduce and survive. Large herring also fill a different role in the Baltic food web than the smaller ones, and are therefore also vital for the stability of the ecosystem.
OVERFISHING THEN AND NOW
Middle Ages - Echoes from the past
Modern DNA analysis, together with archaeological evidence, shows that
herring
from the Baltic Sea
were traded over long distances as early as the 9th century. Large-scale fishing of herring began centuries ago, and genetic studies indicate that
some populations may have already been overfished by the 13th century.
Although medieval fishermen lacked today’s industrial trawling equipment, fishing pressure could still be intense in earlier times.
1990s - The age of trawling
The late 20th century marked a pivotal shift in Baltic Sea fishing: the introduction of trawling, coupled with larger boats and advanced technology, fundamentally altered fishing practices. This period saw a dramatic decline in fish stocks, including for the Baltic herring, with the Gulf of Bothnia experiencing a more than 50% drop since the early 1990s, and stocks in the western Baltic Sea decreasing by 80% over the same period.
Today - Ignoring science
Despite the
ICES scientific advices, outlining that many of the Baltic herring stocks are outside safe biological limits, which has long been integral to the EU´s decision making process to set the annual fishing catch quotas - Total Allowable Catches (TACs), in recent years
the EU Council has disregarded this and continued to allow large-scale fishing for Baltic herring.
Indeed,
on October 24, 2023 the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council chose to set fishing quotas for 2024 as usual, ignoring scientific facts and legal guidelines. The
same happened in 2024, when EU fisheries ministers yet again ignored the limits of the ecosystem and exceeded scientific recommendations on some of the Baltic TACs. For example, for the central Baltic herring, they decided to increase the TAC by over 100%.
Useful Resources
HOW CAN WE FISH RESPONSIBLY?
Coastal fishers and NGOs alike are demanding action as there´s less fish and the whole ecosystem is under more pressure and we risk losing an entire fishery and the culture with it.
Therefore, in light of the very poor status on the Baltic Sea and its fish stocks, in January 2024 CCB requested an internal review from the EU Council to seek explanation of how the 2023 October AGRIFISH Council decisions are valid and meet the legal requirements in place.
When this request was rejected with the claim that nothing was incorrect in the Council’s decision, CCB decided to appeal it and ask
the EU Court for an annulment of the Council's decision not to review the 2024 Baltic fish quota decision.
If the court approves CCB´s request, it would affect how the Ministers can act in the future. It would set a precedent and clarify how fisheries and environmental laws should be interpreted in the light of setting fishing quotas not only in the Baltic Sea but across the EU.
It will be a long journey, but we can't do it alone —
we need your support.
BE A HERRING HERO
- HOW YOU CAN HELP
Everyone can play a role in protecting the Baltic herring and the sea
it calls home:
- Choose sustainably sourced fish – Look for seafood from small-scale, coastal fishers that prioritize long-term health of fish stocks, and avoid fish from stocks that are not in good status, such as the Baltic cod.
- Stay informed and spread the word – Sharing knowledge helps build support for sustainable policies.
- Be a Herring Hero! – Your donation can help to support the legal case and to pressure policy-makers to follow the law and protect the Baltic Sea marine life.
Plea for the Sea - Herring Heroes: advocate for a fair Baltic Sea!
The continued decline of our stocks caused by the Ministries continuously acting like it’s business as usual has to stop. It’s time we demand legal action of the flagrant disregard for the law and the environment.
Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB)
Donate now and be a Herring Hero!
#PleaForTheSea - Advocate for a Fair Baltic Sea
For more information:
CCB Secretariat: secretariat (at) ccb.se
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