11.26, Figure 11.27 and Figure 11.28). It is therefore possible that on occasions, some planktonic larvae pass through the East Anglia THREE site being carried by currents from the spawning grounds in the eastern English Channel to the nursery areas along the Dutch coast and into the German Bight (Maurcops, 1969; Munro et al. 1998; Hodgson, 1957, ICES, 2010b).
103. Herring is of low commercial importance in the study area (Table 11.5 and Table 11.6). Landings in the regional area are principally from ICES rectangle 32F2, to the south of the East Anglia THREE site. Clupeids (herring and sprat) occurred in very low numbers at sites sampled by the 2m scientific beam trawl survey along the offshore cable corridor in May 2013 (Table 11.4).
104. Herring is of conservation interest, being listed as a UK BAP priority species (Table 11.10). The Downs herring was the first North Sea component to collapse due to fishing over-exploitation in the 1960s and took the longest time to recover. Since 2001, however, the Downs component has increased consistently to a point where it is the largest component of the North Sea stock. The relative contribution of the Downs component to the total stock has increased since the start of the IHLS survey in the early 1970s (Schmidt et al. 2009). The Downs component has varied from almost negligible in the 1970s to 40% of the total stock in recent times (Payne, 2010).
105. Overall, herring recruitment has been low in the North Sea in recent years. This is thought to be related to a decrease in survival rates during the larval overwintering phase associated with increases in water temperatures in the North Sea and changes in the plankton community (Payne et al. 2009). ICES currently classifies the North Sea stock as being at full reproductive capacity and harvested sustainably (ICES Advice, 2011g).
106. As previously mentioned, herring are prey to piscivorous fish and marine mammals and seabirds. Herring feed on zooplankton particularly Calanoid copepods during their early juvenile life, although they also feed on euphausids, hyperiid amphipods, juvenile sandeels, sea-squirts (Oikopleura spp.) and fish eggs. Other dietary items include small fish, arrow worms and ctenophores (ICES, 2012f).
Preliminary Environmental Information May 2014
East Anglia THREE Offshore Windfarm
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