A West of Scotland herring spawning ground, several kilometers long, has been spotted off the shores of Wester Ross, in an area that was historically considered an important spawning ground (see Frost & Diele 2022).

The community-based eDNA sampling programme, conceived by WOSHH, first trialled in 2022 in Wester Ross (Applecross, South Erradale and Melvaig), in collaboration with the Wester Ross Fisheries Trust and local crofters, was very successful. This showed that shore-based sampling (as opposed to boat-based) reliably detects herring DNA. This is great news because it reduces the risks and costs of sampling.

Thank you to all those who joined us and helped make ‘Fishy Tales’ a success at Arran (Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST)), Skye (Skye & Lochalsh Rivers Trust) and in Gairloch (Wester Ross Fisheries Trust), and a huge thank you to Heidi, Nicola and Craig at Thunderbolts and Lightning for creating such a memorable and informative experience for everyone!

Join us this October for ‘Fishy Tales’: a free outdoor theatre event and nature hunt on the Isles of Arran, Skye and in Gairloch! Fishy Tales is a collaboration between Thunderbolts and Lightning and the West of Scotland Herring Hunt (WOSHH) project.

The West of Scotland Herring Hunt (WOSHH) 2023 field work season has begun with shore-based environmental (e)DNA sampling. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is the DNA, shed by an organism (e.g., scales, excrement, etc.) or whole microorganisms, present in the environment. eDNA from water samples can be extracted, sequenced and linked back to species that were in the area. This makes it a potentially powerful, non-invasive tool to detect elusive spawning herring shoals through shore-based sampling.

The West of Scotland Herring Hunt (WOSHH) 2023 field work season has begun with shore-based environmental (e)DNA sampling. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is the DNA, shed by an organism (e.g., scales, excrement, etc.) or whole microorganisms, present in the environment. eDNA from water samples can be extracted, sequenced and linked back to species that were in the area. This makes it a potentially powerful, non-invasive tool to detect elusive spawning herring shoals through shore-based sampling.

In October/November 2022, a large school of whitebait (immature fish) was spotted in Lochinver Bay, attracting an amazing number of feeding birds and seals. With the help of the community (including the pie shop who packed them), Andy, the Assynt ranger, was able to send a sub-sample to the WOSHH team to find out if any of the fish were juvenile herring, as had been suspected by the locals – AND RIGHT THEY WERE! This is the first time juvenile herring have been spotted in the area in nearly 50 years.  

Do YOU have stories to share? We hope you like the amazing historical and ecological images of herring and their past importance on this website. We want to feature YOUR herring-related stories on this website too – be it photos, videos, artwork, tales, activities, or anything else you would like to share. Please get in […]