Just in time for last Easter, the Norwegian spring-spawning herring, which is most common in preserved herring products, was given a red light in the WWF Fish Guide.
The switch by food companies to sustainable alternatives is an important step for the oceans, says WWF Secretary General Gustaf Lind.
"It gives the Norwegian spring-spawning herring a chance to recover and shows that good choices are already possible today," he says in a press statement.
Anyone who wants to buy sustainable herring can look for the MSC logo, because that certification corresponds to herring given a green light in the Fish Guide.
In April 2025, Norwegian spring-spawning herring was given a red light in the WWF Fish Guide. It had long been fished at levels exceeding scientific advice. At the same time, the coastal countries that fish it have failed to agree on sustainable quotas.
Long-term overfishing has put pressure on the stock and led to a clear decline in the number of spawning herring.
The Norwegian spring-spawning herring collapsed in the 1970s and it took decades of very limited fishing for the stock to recover.
Source: WWF
