The Irish herring fisheries in the twentieth century: their assessment and management

Abstract

For many centuries the herring fisheries throughout northern Europe have played a very important part in the economic development of maritime countries. The reason for this is that the herring has been an extremely important source of food for the populations throughout Europe, and the strength and prosperity of many communities depended on the success of the fisheries. The herring fisheries themselves have fluctuated considerably - periods of great abundance of shoals being followed by periods when shoals have been virtually absent from the coasts.