Description

Safety in Numbers

You’d think, as the most populous fish in the world, herring would be, more than any other fish in the sea, safe in numbers.

Sort of.

Well, unfortuntely, they are massively important to pretty much all marine ecosystems. They are food to a huge number of species. Gulls, gannets and many other sea birds feed on ’em, as do *inhales*….porpoises, dolphins, whales, seals, bass, cod, mackerel, sharks and salmon…*exhales* plus many other sea creatures.

And that’s just half the story.

Commercial Use of Herring

These little fish are also really important from a commercial perspective. And when you think of what they’re used for, it’s hardly surprising:

• Kippers – split and smoked and extremely popular (we get our Manx kippers from award winning smokehouses on the Isle of Man)
• Rollmops – a personal favourite – pickled herring, rolled around pickled shredded onion (I keep Polos handy, don’t worry).
• Soused herring – something I hadn’t heard of before, but a Dutch method of preparing it is soaking it in a marinade that contains mild vinegar/brine, and may also contain cider, wine, sugar and herbs! This I need to try!

All in all, a versatile fish, enjoyed the world over!