Marine Institute Sampling of NW Herring Spawning Grounds

The Marine Institute intends to obtain samples of spawning herring at:

• Bills of Achill in November
• Glen Head/Aranmore area in December.

The samples will be taken during spawning time. These samples are urgently required to assess the extent of mixing of Irish-spawned herring in VIa, particularly VIaN. They will be used in a discriminant analysis of herring caught during the summer acoustic survey, taking place west of Scotland and Ireland. The analysis is a matter of urgency because the stocks are subject to a new ICES assessment in 2015NW Herring Spawning Grounds Sampling sites, November & December 2014.

Currently, herring in VIaN are considered to be part of a separate stock. However preliminary analysis, by the Irish Marine Institute, suggests a component of herring in VIaN in summer belong to the NW Irish stock.

Authorisation has been received to allow two pairs of pelagic RSW vessels to enter the 12 mile territorial limits, and to fish herring on these known spawning grounds, on one occasion off Mayo and one off Donegal. The vessels are as follows:

FV Olgarry and FV Pacelli
FV Felucca and FV Genesis II

These vessels will be fishing against their existing NW herring quotas, and are not being awarded any additional scientific quota for the exercise.

Further information: Maurice Clarke Tel. 091 387 200.