Silver Darlings - A Potted History of the Herring

A Short History Lesson!

The British herring fishery pre-dates the capture of many other species and in 1295 Edward I decreed that the Dutch should be allowed to fish from Yarmouth for herring ‘unmolested’ – (not much change there then!!) and of course competition ensued and struggles for the control of the herring fisheries were inevitable, giving rise ultimately to the emergence of the Royal Navy as protector of the shoals.

By the mid 17th century, the herring industry was booming and in 1650 the Navigation Act demanded that only British-caught fresh herrings were to be imported to our shores and by 1666 all trade in foreign herring, salted, dried or bloated was prohibited too.

Fishing for herrings was actively encouraged by parliament through the 1800’s and by the early 1900’s a vast industry was encompassing the Isles from Shetland to Cornwall, the Firth of Forth being noted for its abundance. An army of fisher-girls descended on ports and towns to clean and salt the fish down into barrels, from the Orkneys to Lowestoft, following the shoals throughout the seasons, as they migrated South toward the Channel.

Just before the First World War did the fishery peak, with a estimated 1500 herring ‘drifters’ crewed by 15,000 fishermen, landing 12,000,000 cwt of catch. The ensuing turmoil of war then depleted those landings by over half, fishing communities subsequently came under much economic pressure and in 1935 The Herring Industry Board was set up to monitor and manage the markets.

Following the Second World War the demand for protein increased, the fleets reinvested and improvements in fishing techniques and technology increased catches further. By the 1950’s overfishing of herring was a serious problem and landings fell dramatically and steadily right up to 1977, when the lowest catch for a century was recorded, with a spawning biomass (volume of adult herring) of only 150,000 tons and a 4-year ban on their harvesting was the inevitable result.

Of course with the stocks under pressure and ban enforced, a whole generation suddenly missed out on eating this wonderful fish and its popularity waned further. With dietary concerns never more important than today and rising obesity levels driving the health and superfood trends, this consistently overlooked resource could go a long way to redressing the balance in a thoroughly delicious and digestible form.

So where to find yourself some fresh herring? It’s a tricky one, as fishmongers have likewise responded to demand and they’re not a common sight on slabs anymore. But that’s where you need to start and ask - put in a request and see if they can source them for you, then get them to gut, scale and even fillet for you, so your first experience is a good one. Try frying the fillets lightly in seasoned flour and butter or grilling or griddling, brushed with a little light oil. Use the roes, (eggs) hard for making taramasalata or the soft male ‘milts’ fried in butter on some fresh toast.

If you can’t get fresh, then try them smoked as kippers or bloaters or pickled, as rollmops, which are so easy to eat because the tiny bones are broken down to nothing in the cure and make a wonderful go-to snack. Whichever way you choose though, be open-minded and remember that what you’re eating is wild, first class protein in its truest form.

Enjoy!