Since fish are managed according to where they are found and how they are caught, it’s important to understand some of the critical elements about fish stocks and gear type used. Seafood for the Future provides a list of recommended sustainable seafood by species and simplified explanation about what’s important in the selection of each.

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Atlantic herring

Clupea harengus

Family: Clupeidae (herring, shads, sardines)

Common names: The FDA acceptable market names are Herring, Sea Herring and Slid.  FDA vernacular non-market names include: Common Herring, Labrador Herring, Sardine and Sperling. Other names include: Sardinellas, Brisling, Sprats, and Pilchards.

View the FDA list of legal market fish names.

Atlantic herring is sourced from FAO areas 2, 21, and 31.

SFF determination:
Atlantic herring stocks are endorsed based on NOAA Fisheries Service information.

Primary Commercial Fishing Gear:

Purse seines and mid-water trawls that normally do not touch the bottom.

Other Commercial Fishing Gear:

Bottom trawls.

Geographic Range:

North Atlantic sea: Baltic Sea to northern Bay of Biscay, around Iceland; Greenland and the Labrador Sea southward to the South Carolina of the Eastern U.S..

U.S. FAO areas 2, 21, and 31.  View FAO fishing area map.

NMFS Fish Stock Sustainability Index (FSSI):

sssi:4
BS/AI stocks have a NOAA Fisheries Service score of 4.0 (maximum).

GOA stocks have a NOAA Fisheries Service score of 4.0 (maximum).

Overfishing: NO

Fishing pressure does not exceed target levels.

Overfished: NO

Population biomass is not less than target levels.

Approaching Overfished Condition: NO

Populations are not in decline and have recovered from low levels in the 1970′s.

Estimated Biomass:

  • 97% (Northwestern Atlantic)

Biomass expressed as a percentage of the estimated Biomass at Maximum Sustainable Yield (BMSY)
B/BMSY must be >80% to earn a maximum score of 4.0 on the National Marine Fishery Service’s FSSI report.

Bycatch/Interactions:

Bycatch includes the harbor seal and gray seal (Northwest Atlantic).

Download the federal List of Fisheries, which reports interactions between fisheries and  marine mammals according to the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Managing Authority:

  • ASMFC (Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission) and NPFMC (North Pacific Fisheries Management Council) in state and federal waters.

Life History Traits:

Atlantic herring reach sexual maturity around age 4 (20.6 cm) but varies annually.  They spawn between August and November depending on location.  Average length is 30 cm SL (standard length).  Often found between 15-45 m depths.

Commercial Season:

U.S. Gulf of Maine: May – October

Health Advisory:

None.

Seafood Advisory Consensus:

  • Blue Ocean Institute - Green (3.55/4.00)
  • Monterey Bay Seafood Watch - US Atlantic: good alternative
  • Environmental Defense Fund - OK for the environment; enjoy in moderation
  • Marine Stewardship Council - sustainable
  • WWF - na
  • SeaChoice - Yellow: some concerns
  • New England Aquarium - ocean-friendly
  • Greenpeace - not redlisted


A measurement of how the National Marine Fisheries Service assesses the sustainability of fish stock managed in domestic waters. A 4-point scale (4 being the most sustainable) that scores the size of the fish stock in relation to the amount of fishing. Not all fish stocks have an FSSI score.


Some fishing methods are harmful to whales and dolphins, turtles, seabirds, and non-targeted fish. Fishing gear may also damage fish habitat by dragging on the seafloor. Regional fisheries councils and state fisheries management authorities provide bycatch information and habitat damage so that we can recommend fish from the most sustainable fishing methods possible.


Fish that are managed under U.S. fisheries programs cover a wide geographic range and can be found from Maine to Guam, a distance that’s equivalent to a third of the way around the Earth. Some programs fall under state jurisdiction, while others are run by one of the regional fisheries management councils.