The main North Sea herring fishery is about to get underway - the only herring fishery in the north-east Atlantic that is independently certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for the sustainable way it is harvested.

Boats from the north-east of Scotland and Shetland will be heading to the fishing grounds in search of the ‘silver darlings’, an iconic fish in Scottish heritage and the foundation stone of many fishing communities in the 19^th century.

According to Robert Duthie, chairman of the Scottish Pelagic Processors’ Association, herring is one of the tastiest fish in the sea and should be featuring more on our dinner tables, given that they are highly nutritious and packed full of heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids, and minerals and vitamins.

“Scottish herring is a superb tasting fish, perfect for the outdoor summer barbecue, or in the kitchen, simply grilled or fried in a pan. Herring offers great value for money as a shopping basket item,” he said.

Smoked herring – kippers – also make a great treat says herring fisherman Ally West, who is  co-skipper of the Fraserburgh based vessel Resolute. He says: “I adore kippers as they have so much flavour and are fabulous cooked on the barbecue, or served as a tasty breakfast dish. The great thing about our North Sea herring fishery is that it is MSC certified for sustainability and has a low carbon footprint, which means consumers can buy herring with confidence.”

Ian Gatt, chairman of the Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group, an industry organisation created to promote sustainable fishing in Scottish herring and mackerel fisheries, says Scottish fishermen are committed to sustainability, and as well as participating in the MSC programme for herring, have spearheaded several science initiatives to enhance our knowledge of stocks.

“Such initiatives have included the pioneering Scottish Pelagic Industry-Science Data Collection Programme, which has now led to data collected by fishermen being used in the scientific assessment process of herring and mackerel, which aids sensible and pragmatic fisheries management.”

UK health experts recommend that people should eat two portions of fish per week, one of which should be an oily fish such as herring. The UK has 103,500 tonnes of North Sea herring to catch this year, the bulk of which will be caught by Scottish boats.