After spring-spawning herring gathered in large numbers for the first time in nearly 50 years to spawn off the coast of Wester Ross, and the resulting feature on the BBC in 2019, the William Grant Foundation funded the Skye and Wester Ross Fisheries Trust to gather available information on herring spawning habitats in the area. Edinburgh Napier University reviewed scientific literature, scanned historical fisheries and government reports (dating back to the mid 19th century), as well as listened to interviews conducted by Sue Pomeroy, Little Loch Broom Marine Life (on behalf of the Wester Ross Fisheries Trust for Two Lochs Radio station) and spoke to former fishers about their knowledge surrounding spawning habitat. This work is summarised in an open-access article, published in 2022, which includes new maps of historical spawning areas and identified knowledge gaps, particularly for the west coast of Scotland. 

Knowledge gaps identified:

1. location, habitat type and status of current and historic herring spawning beds in Scottish waters
2. presence and abundance of larvae on the west coast and inshore waters of Scotland
3. presence and abundance of spring-spawning herring on the west coast of Scotland

WOSHH, spearheaded by Edinburgh Napier University, was developed to help address some of the identified knowledge gaps across the whole west coast of Scotland. WOSHH collaborates with a diverse range of marine stakeholders interested in the conservation and restoration of herring spawning habitat.