Charity pushes case for herring spawning ground support near Gairloch after Blue Planet showcase
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A CHARITY campaigning on sustainable fishing issues in Scotland's coastal waters has called on the Scottish government to protect a herring spawning ground off Gairloch.
The plea by the charity Open Seas follows the filming of large shoals of spring spawning herring in the area by the hit BBC Blue Planet UK series raising hopes for the recovery of the species and revival of the once-booming fishery.
Nick Underdown of Open Seas said: “Shoals of fish returning to spawn in Gairloch is hugely exciting. Given the boom and bust history of the herring fishery, these fish need all the help they can get.
"Herring are one of the foundations of healthy seas. If the stock was to recover on the west coast it could underpin the future of our fishing industry and rural communities for decades to come. Spawning grounds are precious and we are urging the Scottish Government to protect the full, known extent of the herring spawning ground in Gairloch."
Showcased on BBC’s Blue Planet UK series it is believed to be the first time the spawning behaviour of herring has been captured on film in Scotland.
Mr Underdown saidLocal fishermen witnessed the shoals close to shore in Gairloch throughout the month of March, indicating that the fish were likely to spawn in the area.
"Atlantic herring, which once underpinned a thriving west coast industry, have remained at historically low levels for years. Populations of the fish across Scotland collapsed in the 1970s and 1980s, and although there has been a gradual increase in North Sea herring, west coast stocks are still recovering from decades of over-exploitation.
"Every year herring swim from deep offshore seas towards our coasts where each female fish lays tens of thousands of eggs. The eggs stick to the seabed and after a few weeks develop into fish larvae - the next generation. Herring spawning used to take place in such huge numbers that there are tales of the waters turning white with fish eggs. Such massive spawning events give food to seals, seabirds, dolphins and other fish, and where stocks are healthy, such as in Canada, these events still bring in huge numbers of other marine wildlife."
West coast herring stocks continue to decline and the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) says that all measures should be taken to protect the places where herring spawn to improve their chances for the future.
A famous spawning ground in Gairloch has been closed to bottom-towed fishing, such as prawn-trawling and scallop dredging, for over 150 years.
But Open Seas, say that the closure overlooks a key part of the spawning ground, including areas where herring spawning was discovered last year.
In March 2018 divers recorded herring spawn in the outer margins of Loch Gairloch, around a mile from the shore. It was the first time that herring spawn had been visually recorded on the seabed in the area and also proved that herring were spawning on areas of seabed outside of the existing protected area.
Mr Underdown added: "We should invest in these areas by protecting them for future generations. Habitats such as maerl beds provide the perfect seabed conditions for spawning fish, but repeated dredging and trawling can kill these habitats and over years this could reduce their suitability for spawning.
"Last year we recorded an incident of illegal scallop dredging in Loch Gairloch and further reports of suspected illegal trawling have continued.
"This is extremely frustrating for the law-abiding majority of fishermen. We know the industry is full-square behind conservation measures, but Government has got to lead the charge."
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