Workpackages

See also the section sampling for more information!

The aims are to collect and process the relevant samples to provide material and data for WP’s 02-07. Herring in western European waters comprise several autumn, winter and spring-spawning stocks and sampling of spawning aggregations must take account of temporal differences in spawning within the western area. The major objectives are:
1. Obtain 12 samples, in each of two years, of ripe-and-running herring, for the reference collection, from the major spawning grounds described in Figure 1 of the workplan.
2. Obtain 10 samples, in each of two years, of juvenile herring from the various nursery and overwintering grounds described in Figure 1 of the workplan.
3. Obtain 3 samples, in each of two years, of adult, non-spawning herring from possible mixed-stock feeding grounds in three ICES areas, VIaNorth, VIaSouth & VIIb,c and Irish Sea.
4. Obtain samples of yolk-sac herring larvae from the Irish Sea spawning grounds in each of two years.
5. Ensure timely delivery of samples and accompanying biological data for analysis at the corresponding laboratories.

The detailed sampling program necessary to provide samples from three life-history stages of herring in western European waters requires effective co-ordination among sampling partners (seven institutions and laboratories in six countries). Spawning aggregations will be sampled with collaboration from commercial fishers, through various research cruises and within existing market sampling programmes. This will ensure that the sampling covers the often fluctuating age composition characteristic of extended spawning seasons of herring in the area of interest. Juveniles will be sampled primarily during existing research programmes, but also through sampling the Irish Sprat fisheries for herring by-catch, if these ephemeral fisheries occur. Non-spawning aggregations (i.e., aggregations of migratory herring of possible diverse origin on feeding grounds) will be sampled with research vessels during annual research surveys and in collaboration with commercial fishing vessels in different fishing areas.
Digital images and samples of various tissues, properly stored, will be delivered by each collecting institute to the corresponding laboratory for each workpackage, together with the associated catch and biological information (i.e., geographic location of catch, catch date, length, weight, sex, maturity). All accompanying information will be sent to the sampling co-ordinator. A restricted access database, for reference by all partners, will be set up to hold all collected information.

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