Herring back on the menu after tonnes of 'silver darlings' were landed in Hull

The Hull-registered, Dutch-owned factory trawlers Wiron 5 and 6 caught the haul of mostly herring, also scad, mackerel and blue whiting, off the Shetlands and landing them into the port’s Alexandra Dock last week.

Managing director at North Atlantic Holdings Ltd Phil Haslam said they were looking to make regular landings in future, which could be anything up to 10 a year.

He said: “The vessels are registered in Hull, which we consider our home port and it is something we have been looking to do for a long time. It has been a year in the planning, getting all the logistics together. I’m delighted we got the first one done.”

Herring once provided millions of Britons with their main source of protein and were known as “silver darlings”, but overfishing caused stocks to collapse and led to an eight-year ban on fishing from 1977.

Stocks have since recovered in some areas and the Marine Conservation Society rates herring caught in the northern North Sea a good choice in their Good Fish Guide.

The herrings were frozen at sea and taken to the ACS&T coldstore in Grimsby.

They will be exported to Africa – countries like Nigeria and Egypt – and Asia where they provide a high-energy, relatively low cost protein – having dropped off the British menu at the time of the ban and never making it back.

The trawlers have Dutch skippers and around 20 per cent of the crew are from the UK.

Mr Haslam said: “With current world events putting a spotlight on climate and food security, our sustainably sourced pelagic fish have the lowest CO2 footprint compared any other animal protein and are among the most cost-effective foods available.

“They’re low in cholesterol, brimming with healthy omega-3 fatty acids and nutrients like riboflavin, iron and calcium.”