Effect of environmental variability and spawner characteristics on the recruitment of Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras) populations

We analyzed recruitment-environment relationships for five distinct Baltic Sea herring stocks inhabiting the areas of the Western Baltic (WBH), the Main Basin (MBH), the Gulf of Riga (GRH), the Bothnian Sea (BSH) and the Bothnian Bay (BBH). A number of hydro-climatic and biological predictors were tested for their effect on recruitment. Temperature was detected to be a predictor for three of the Baltic herring stocks (MBH, GRH and BSH). However, spawning stock biomass was the major factor explaining recruitment for GRH and weight-at-age of the spawners was an important predictor of MBH recruitment. For two out of four stocks for which complete zooplankton data were available (BSH and MBH), food supply was also a significant predictor, suggesting that changes in climate and/or food-web structure may affect indirectly herring recruitment via prey availability for the recruits or spawners. Our results emphasize both similarities and differences in the main regulators of recruitment dynamics for the five Baltic herring stocks that should be taken under consideration in the development of area-specific management strategies throughout the Baltic Sea basin.

CARDINALE Massimiliano;  MOELLMANN Christian;  BARTOLINO Valerio;  CASINI Michele;  KORNILOVS Georgs;  RAID Tiit;  MARGONSKI Piotr;  GRZYB Anna;  RAITANIEM Jari;  GRÖHSLER Tomas;  FLINKMAN Juha; 

2009-09-10

INTER-RESEARCH

JRC52453

0171-8630,   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC52453,   

10.3354/meps08125,