Blue Planet to show rare ‘silver darlings’ footage

Ground-breaking footage capturing herring spawning off the west coast of Scotland will be shown during the final episode of the BBC’S Blue Planet spin-off television series which airs this evening.

In the programme presenter Steve Brown will be finding out whether the “silver darlings” are making a comeback.

The fish, which have never before been recorded laying eggs, were filmed by a diver off Gairloch, in Wester Ross.

The area has recently been identified as a major breeding hotspot for the species, which was almost wiped out by overfishing in the 1960s and 1970s

It’s thought the spawning ground, which straddles an area that is closed to dredging, could play a major role in the recovery of herring stocks.

Sustainable fisheries campaigners say the rare footage highlights the need for extra protection for this important marine environment.

Nick Underdown, head of campaigns at Open Seas, said: “These spawning grounds are so precious, but our fishing laws are out of date and some areas are still at risk.

“To invest in the future of the herring fishery, Scottish ministers must urgently and permanently protect all known areas of spawning ground from disturbance by damaging fishing methods like dredging and bottom-trawling .”