THE HERRING

Evening Star, Issue 20109, 25 February 1929, Page 7

THE HERRING

WANDERER AND VAGABOND Although the herring is I lie most abundant and most valuable of all the lisli landed in Great Britain, we know less of its habits and life than of almost any of the other important food fishes, writes Arthur Ilaslum ii. tho ‘Daily Telegraph.’ At one time it was thought that tho herrings worked their way round the coast beginning in the North of Scotland and then moving soutiiwu-ds through the North Sea into the Fngbsh Channel, and finally np the Irish Sea; but now it is known that the differed shoals arc composed" of quite distinct “ races ’ of fish. The herrings shoal come together in order to spawn, and it is a remarkable fact that, unlike tho great majority of fish, which have definite times for spawning, the herring can apparently spawn at all seasons of the year, and. moreover, do so not only in salt water, but also go up tho estuaries and spawn in water which is almost fresh. Tins habit of breeding at all times of the year is of importance (o the fishery, because only when the herrings collect in shoals in order lo spawn are they present in sufficient numbers lo make tho fishery a commercial proposition. Though the lime and place of appearance of the shoals are well known, what happens to the young fish which hatch out the untold millions of eggs laid during the spawning period, and what happens to the hilly-grown fi-h after they have spawned, are alike mysteries to us. it is conjectured that Iho young fish swim np estuaries and rivers, and only after _ some years join the fully-grown herrings in the open sea, bid we, know nothing definitely. After the spawning is over the adult herrings disperse in all directions presumably, in search of food.' For the herring is not like the plaice or haddock; it does not Inc on the animals—worms, shellfish, and the like—which are found on the bed of the ocean; but instead nursucs the microscopic animal, and plant life which floats everywhere in the vast bosom of the ocean. It is this constant search for minute prey, of which' immense numbers must be swallowed in order to provide a good meal, that has made the herring' into the wanderer and vagabond that he is Spawning always takes place in tho shallower water near the coast, but in the search for food the herring swims away into the open sea, where, by straining immense quantities ox, water through his gills, ho collects the floating life which forms his food.