Edinburgh Napier University

  Historically, herring was abundant around the West of Scotland and of high importance to the local economy. Today, the estimated herring stock size in ICES area 6a is at near an all-time low. In March 2018 and 2019 herring spawn was recorded near Loch Gairloch in Northwest Scotland. Following video footage broadcast on BBC Blue Planet UK and BBC Springwatch, the Skye and Wester Ross Fisheries Trust [SWRFT] was awarded funding by the William Grant Foundation for a scoping study to gather the available information on herring spawning habitats in the area. As sub-awardee Edinburgh Napier is conducting a systematic literature review, including scanning of historic Scottish fisheries reports, on the spawning ecology of herring in the Wester Ross area and Scottish seas. We are also preparing GIS maps of historic spawning sites to provide spatial information on seabed habitats where herring may spawn in the future.