Maine Seafood Guide – Herring

Herring

Species Description

Herring Clupea harengus
also known as sardines

Wild.

Atlantic herring is one of the most common fishes of the Gulf of Maine. Atlantic herring are schooling, filter-feeding fish which are eaten by a variety of marine mammals, sea birds and fish. Some Gulf of Maine herring migrate from summer feeding grounds along the Maine coast and on Georges Bank to southern New England and Mid-Atlantic areas during winter, with larger individuals tending to migrate farther distances.

Atlantic herring are the fish that were canned as “sardines” in Maine and Atlantic Canada.

Season

Year-round.

Status

Herring populations are naturally highly variable, possibly due to changing environmental conditions. The most recent stock assessment (2015) found that overfishing is not occurring in the herring fishery, and the stock is not overfished. (Fishwatch.gov).

Regulatory Authority

New England Fishery Management Council and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The New England Fishery Management Council prohibits midwater trawling from June through September 30 in federal waters, while the ASMFC plan includes spawning closures and a days out provision that restricts vessels to 2,000 pounds of herring per day.

Harvest Method

In the past, herring were harvested primarily in “fixed” gear (weirs and stop seines) close to shore and catches depended on schools of juvenile herring (sardines) swimming into the weir or into a bay or cove where they could be “shut off” with a seine. Today, the fishery is almost exclusively a “mobile” gear fishery. Fishermen in larger boats pursue herring to offshore fishing grounds, using sophisticated electronic equipment to locate the fish and purse seines and mid-water trawls to catch them. See the vessel and gear guide for more information.

Recreational Harvest

Harvest limit: 25 fish per day, personal use only.

Health Benefits & Risks

Herring are higher in fat than other seafoods, but they are an excellent source of vitamin B12, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids. Herring are low in mercury.

Buying & Preparing

Fresh herring from the Gulf of Maine are rarely found in retail markets, as most of the catch is used as lobster bait. However, herring still plays a role in the region’s food culture through preserved and canned products.

Look for canned herring from companies like Bar Harbor Foods in Whiting, Maine. Some Gulf of Maine herring is also processed as sardines in nearby New Brunswick, Canada. When available fresh, herring should have bright silver skin, clear eyes, and a clean ocean scent.

Fresh herring, if you can find it, is traditionally pickled, smoked, grilled, or pan-fried. Canned herring can be used in salads, sandwiches, or pâtés, offering a rich, oily flavor packed with omega-3s.

Maine Sea Grant