Read on Twitter
Irish Herring stocks have collapsed. Scientists warn that no fishing should take place in 3 out of 5 in 2021. This includes two of Ireland’s most important herring fisheries, in the Celtic Sea & NW of Ireland https://birdwatchireland.ie/the-herring-are-not-in-the-tides-as-they-were-of-old/
The state of herring populations has serious consequences for the sea life & affected fishing communities. Herring are a cornerstone of marine ecosystems. Most animals including seabirds, whales & commercial fish species feed on herring https://birdwatchireland.ie/the-herring-are-not-in-the-tides-as-they-were-of-old/
The decision to close commercial herring fisheries while necessary, is disastrous none the less for effected coastal communities, who are dependent on the jobs created either directly or indirectly in fishing and processing. Sadly this was all predictable.
Historical records tell of vast herring shoals that used to inundate bays like a great silver tide. We know that herring have been lost from many areas where they were once plentiful. The amount of herring being sold at traditional fish markets surpasses current national landings
The industrialisation of commercial fisheries in the 1960s, coupled with growing demand in continental markets drove overfishing and herring stocks collapsed in the late 1970s & fisheries remained closed for many years.
Irish herring stocks have never recovered fully & landings have again been declining sharply from an Irish quota of over 32000t in 2012 to just over 1000t in 2020 . A tiny fraction of what healthy herring populations could support.
While the collapse of herring stocks in hindsight seems depressingly predictable the contributing factors are complex. Without a doubt overfishing has been the biggest driver, with fisheries Ministers failing to follow scientifically advised quotas https://birdwatchireland.ie/the-eu-has-failed-abysmally-to-end-overfishing/
This week @McConalogue @VSinkevicius will meet to discuss fishing quotas for 2021. This years talks will be held in the context of #Brexit & the EUs failure to #EndOverfishing. More must be done to manage fisheries sustainably & protect biodiversity https://birdwatchireland.ie/common-fisheries-policy-2020-a-discarded-opportunity/
