Reports 1975 and 1977 of the Working Group on Atlanto-Scandian Herring

In this volume the reports resulting from the meetings of the Atlanto-Scandian Herring Working Group in 1975 and 1977 are presented. The purpose of each of these meetings was to assess the state of the Atlanto-Scandian herring (Norwegian spring spawners) and provide advice on management action. At the 1975 meeting these requirements were fulfilled. At the 1977 meeting although the Group agreed on the assessment of the state of the stock an agreed advice on management was not reached and none was given.

Reports resulting from the meetings of the Atlanto-Scandian Herring Working Group in 1969 and 1971 have been published in this series as Volumes 17 and 30. More detailed data concerning the catch statistics and the results of various investigations are presented in those volumes and not repeated in this one. In order to follow the develop-ment of the stock and the various approaches in assessment carried out by the Working Group it is necessary to study all three volumes.

The previous Working Group reports have either dealt with the stock at a time of rapid decline or in a state of depletion. In future it is hoped that the circumstances will be reversed and that the Atlanto-Scandian Herring Working Group will be able to report on increasing herring abundance.

This, however, will be dependent on how stringent management actions will be taken in order to bring the stock out of its present state of unproductiveness.