Confidential Fisheries and Marine Service Confidential
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,~ l,,,.J CONFIDENTIAL FISHERIES AND MARINE SERVICE CONFIDENTIAL REPORT NO. 37 REPORT ON DISCUSSIONS WITH GERMAN AND BRITISH SCIENTISTS ON THE STATUS OF EUROPEAN HERRING STOCKS, FISHERIES AND RESEARCH PROGRAMS by A. S. Hourston Pacific Biological Station Nanaimo, B.C. JANUARY 1976 F/• . F ... t'' c , CONFIDENTIAL FISHERIES AND MARINE SERVICE CONFIDENTIAL REPORT NO. 37 REPORT ON DISCUSSIONS WITH GERMAN AND BRITISH SCIENTISTS ON THE STATUS OF EUROPEAN HERRING STOCKS, FISHERIES AND RESEARCH PROGRAMS by A. S. Hourston Pacific Biological Station Nanaimo , B.C. JANUARY 1976 REPORT ON DISCUSSIONS WITH GERMAN AND BRITISH SCIENTISTS ON THE STATUS OF EUROPEAN HERRING STOCKS, FISHERIES AND RESEARCH PROGRAMS Discussions were held on the status of European herring stocks, fisheries and research programs with scientists in West Germany and Britain. This opportunity arose in connection with a trip to the I . C.E . S. meetings in Montreal, and to Hamburg and Kiel in West Germany to discuss progress and plans for co-operative research projects on herring involving the Pacific Biological Station and institutes in the two German cities. ITINERARY October 1 - Vancouver to Montreal October 1-4 - Montreal I.C.E.S. meetings October 4-5 - Montreal to Hamburg October 6 - Hamburg Biologische Anstalt Helgoland Dr. Rosenthal October 7 Biologische Anstalt Helgoland Dr. Rosenthal II Institut fur Hydrobiologie Prof. Dr. Lillelund und Fishereiwissenschaft October 8 - Helgoland Biologische Anstalt Helgoland Dr. Uhlig II October 9 - Hamburg Institut fur Seefischerei Dr. Schumaher, Dr. Sahrhage N October 10 - Kiel Institut f~r Meereskunde Prof. Dr. Hempel Dr. Schnack October 11 - Hamburg Biologische Anstalt Helgoland Dr. Rosenthal October 12 Fish market October 13 Biologische Anstalt Helgoland Dr. von Westernhagen October 14 Biologische Anstalt Helgoland Prof. Dr. Kinne October 15 - Bremerhaven Nordsee (Fish plant) Dr. Krane II Institut fur Meeresforchung Dr. Ernst , Dr. Winter Octobe r 16 - Cuxhaven Nordsee (Fish plant) Mr. Shenk 11 II Institut fur Kusten- und Dr. Dethlefsen Binnenfischerie Itinerary (continued) II October 17 - Hamburg Institut fur Biochemie Dr. Antona und Technologie Institut fUr KUsten- und Prof. Dr. Tiews Binnenfischerie October 18 - Hamburg to London October 19-21 - London October 22 - London to Lowest oft October 23-24 - Lowes to ft Ministry of Agriculture, Messrs. Jones, Garrad, Fisheries and Food Mas a October 24 - Lowes to ft to Edinburgh October 25 - Edinburgh October 26 - Edinburgh to Aberdeen October 2 7-28 - Aberdeen Ministry of Agriculture and Messrs. Parrish, Fisheries for Scotland Seville, Baxter Fish market Bailey, McKay, McKenzie, Armstrong, McPherson October 29 University of Aberdeen Dr. Holliday - Aberdeen to Glasgow October 30 - Glasgow to Oban October 30-31 - Ohan Scottish Marine Biological Dr. Blaxter Association Itinerary (continued) November 1 - Oban to Glasgow November 2 - Glasgow to Nanaimo - 5 - GENERAL COMMENTS With the exception of matters dealing with the Canada-West Germany scientific exchange, most of the trip was devoted to establishing personal contacts with scientists in related fields and determining their current research thrusts. My notes on part of the German trip and my visit to Lowestoft were mailed back and have not yet arrived. However, it seemed desirable to report on the trip now while the information is timely. I.C.E.S. MEETINGS Most of the papers presented at the sessions which I attended (Northern Pelagic Committee) were associated with the development of fishing strategies for the Northeast Atlantic Fisheries (NEAF). The biological background for determining total allowable catch (TAC) for the various regions was based on rather crude virtual population analysis (VPA) and a grid pattern of test fishing for young-of-the-year. The 1975 young fish surveys took a total of about six juvenile herring in the North and Baltic seas combined, indicating that the potential contri bution of the 1975 year-class to the stocks is negligible. The abundance of spratt continues to be relatively high and it is possible that some of the spratt catch may have contained juvenile herring as the two species are known to mix at this stage and are difficult to tell apart. There was a general feeling, however, that the two species do not compete ecologically to any extent and thus that the spratt were not just filling an ecological niche vacated by the herring. The abundance of herring adults has become so low that a food- fishing for anything but top-price, luxury products has become uneconomic in this area . Nevertheless, the Danes continue with a pr ofitable industrial (meal and oil) fishery on the immatures. Most countries look - 6 - to their distant fisheries (mainly east coast of North America) for supplies of adult herring. It was my impression that the quality of their stock assessments was well below those for B.C. herring. This is not surprising considering the relative inaccessability of the spawnings and the complex international fisheries involved. Copies of papers judged to be of potential interest to Pacific Biological Station staff were collected and distributed to the appropriate program heads. A list of titles of all papers is being circulated to the scientific staff. CANADA -- WEST GERMANY SCIENTIFIC EXCHANGE Discussions of the present status of analysis and write-up of the work done in Nanaimo during the 1975 spawning season were carried out with Dr. Harold Rosenthal and Dr. Henry von Westernhagen at Hamburg . It was agreed that the paper on spawning behaviour presented at I.C . E. S. would be published in Germany in a journal edited by Prof. Dr . Gotthilf Hempel . The paper was revised accordingly in Hamburg. Plans for a program in 1976 were developed with Drs . Rosenthal, von Westernhagen, Hempel, and Schnack, and submitted to the biological co-ordinator for the German side , Prof. Dr . Kurt Lillelund. Ways of providing better biological input from Canada at meetings of the policy committee for the two countries were discussed with Professor Lillelund. VISITS TO WEST GERMAN INSTITUTES AND IABORATORIES Contacts were made with 16 institutes or laboratories (Table 1). Most of the contacts with individuals were on a 'get-acquainted' basis . My impressions from the more detailed discussions on herring are summarized below. - 7 - Dr. Antona -- Product quality standards and goals are based on taste. This is not necessarily the same as freshness. Best quality is obtained by storing on ice, in boxes, for 2-4 days before filleting. The maximum storage time is 8 days at 4-8 C. Cutting and bleeding should be avoided as this darkens the meat. Only light meat is acceptable for good quality products. The fish should be filleted fresh, using lots of water. The fillets should then be glazed and frozen, to avoid direct contact between fillets. Fillets should have the skin on as connective tissue is important for taste. (The best taste is achieved having both skin and bones, but the fish store better without bones.) Holding on board in refrigerated sea water is discouraged as this results in discoloration of the meat. If necessary, it should be done for no more than 1 day because of the delicacy of the flesh . A fat content of 15% is best for canning; 10% is minimal . For spiced products, a fat content of more than 20% is best and 14% is minimal . Fish with a fat content of less than 10% are used for marinates but the tissue should be soft and fresh . Two blocks of herring sent from B.C. tested 10-16%. (Dr. Antona would be happy to run additional tests.) Smoked products require very fresh herring (i.e. caught near processing plant and put into processing within about 5 hours). The West German industry is most interested in frozen fillets from middle- sized herring (slightly less than 200 mm in length) for processing into canned products. Fillets should be not less than 100 nun . This is a question of price! (Most of the B.C. herring catch - - age III and IV fish - would meet these size requirements whereas most of the Canadian catch of Atlantic herring would not.) - 8 - Finally, Dr. Antona stressed the importance of good organization in processing and distribution. The German industry polices itself very well with respect to quality control, particularly the large companies. Dr. Tiews -- Coastal fisheries, which are the concern of his institute, provide the fresh fish for the high quality products. There is a scarcity of large herring but an adequate overall supply for the limited market for luxury products. The fishery operates year-round in inshore waters. There is a concern over escalating costs with the reduction in catch-per-unit effort as the stocks have declined. Coastal fishermen are very careful and skilled in handling their catch. I got the impression that the fish were packed in ice individually. Dr. Schumaher Offshore fisheries are mainly dependent on catches off the east coast of North America for their supply of herring . In addition to their own catches, German vessels buy catches from Canadian boats outside the 12-mile limit . The industry's main concern, however , is keeping their ships working. They are also interested in obtaining a guaranteed supply of landed frozen products. They would be most interested in an arrangement whereby they could land catches off North America for processing and shipping back to Germany. (I did not encourage this approach. ) The North Sea herring stocks used to support a catch of 700 , 000 tons . Spawning is now down to one-tenth the level required to produce average recruitment. Stock assessments are made from VPA using an "average" mortality rate and from catch-per-unit effort for some established fisheries. - 9 Recruitment is estimated from annual surveys of the young fish. Dr. Schumaher expressed concern over the Danish fishery on young herring. The southern component of the stocks supporting this fishery is now gone and the Danes are concentrating on the remaining (northern) component.