The Summer herring fishery in the Irish Sea in 1974

Abstract

In 1974 the landings of herrings taken by the Irish fleet from the summer herring fishery in the north western part of the Irish Sea increased considerably and were valued at over £277,000. The fishery is based on two different races of herring each having different spawning areas. At present, both stocks are rather small and catches are dependant to a large extent on the influx of young fish each summer. In this situation controls are necessary to prevent the over-exploitation of the adult stock and certain conservation measures are suggested. The operating expenses of boats in this fishery could be reduced considerably by co-operation in the transport of catches from the fishing grounds to the home ports.