What can we learn from the stock collapse and recovery of North Sea herring? A review

The collapse and recovery of North Sea herring in the latter half of the twentieth century hasbeen well documented. With hindsight and the benefit of almost 40 years of extra data andstudies, we can now obtain a clear view of the impact of the collapse and the recovery onthe stock, the fishery, and the North Sea system. The study will review the changes in productivity in terms of growth, maturity, natural mortality and recruitment and the changesin distribution and demography of the stock associated with the collapse and recovery. Itwill also comment on the impact on the genetic makeup of the stock and potentialconsequences for fisheries induced change. This will then be considered in the context of the ecosystem as a whole and how the fisheries were affected. A final synthesis section firstwill look at how we can take these issues into management of North Sea herring, viaprojections and advice and secondly highlight the relevant lessons for the management of other fish stocks and other marine shelf ecosystems