Manx herring fishery reopens
4th October 2023
The Isle of Man saw a return to generations of tradition recently, with the first locally caught kippers going on sale across the island, as well as fresh herring.
Once home to a huge herring industry, that in the 1970s saw herring vessels from across the UK descend on the island, as well as the arrival of several Eastern European klondykers, the island’s local landings then dried up completely, forcing its two remaining fish smokers to rely on imported herring to maintain production.
Following small-scale trials in the Isle of Man last year, with both drift-nets and midwater trawls, the transfer this year of 100t of VIIa herring quota to the Isle of Man – part of a much larger transfer to the UK agreed in the Brexit TCA – has allowed the first targeted fishery for many years.
The Isle of Man’s largest fish smoker, Devereau’s, has been advertising the return of fresh Manx herring to the two fishmongers it operates, as well as the fact that it is now selling kippers made from locally landed herring – the first for many years.
Adrian Kinrade, who operates the inshore beamer/trawler Our Sarah Jane and made the first landings of Manx herring last week, told FN: “We’ve been giving the fishery a go for the last two weeks or so, taking a tonne or two per night, but in spite of seeing some really good marks, struggled initially to really find the fish.
“That changed this week, with 46 boxes for 30 minutes’ fishing – though they have moved around to the east coast of the island. Where traditionally we would now see them start spawning, the fish we are seeing are in really good condition, and are ideal for kippering.”
Manx kippers, which are traditionally smaller and more heavily smoked than kippers produced elsewhere, have gained a dedicated following across the UK for their flavour.
Crewman Junior Boyse aboard the Our Sarah Jane with some of the first Manx herring, with Marshall Thompson in the background. With 100t of quota available, and the first big shots of fish ashore, hopes are high for a long-term revival of the iconic Manx kipper.
Across the water in Northern Ireland, the traditional inshore herring fishery is yet to restart, despite an additional 1,100t of VIIa quota arriving from Ireland as part of the TCA.
FN understands that DAERA has yet to agree the share-out of the additional quota between sectors. The vast majority of FQAs for the stock are held by three larger pelagic vessels, Stefanie M, Havilah and Voyager, but there is growing interest in the fishery from smaller vessels, keen to revive the traditional Mourne fishery, using both drift- nets and trawls.
The larger vessels are understood to have had a relatively quiet season, with large shots of fish proving elusive. With much of the Manx herring stock reportedly east of the island now, at a time when the Manx fishery would traditionally be coming to an end, there is a risk that the additional quota received this year may not be fully utilised.
FN hopes to look at the Isle of Man fishery in detail in a future issue.
This story was taken from the latest issue of Fishing News. For more up-to-date and in-depth reports on the UK and Irish commercial fishing sector, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.30 here.
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