Why Herring Enters the Gulfs of the Barents Sea (Prichiny Zakhoda Seldi v Zalivy Barentseva Morya),

Herring enter gulfs regularly, depending upon conditions of the medium. The fish inhabits waters with temperatures above 2C. Only young herring, up to two years old, may occur in colder waters. Large schools of herring may enter gulfs in summer, autumn and winter in cold years when older age groups of the fish are concentrated east of the Kola meridian. Herring enter gulfs and gubas periodically, the usual cycle being 11 years. If temperature conditions for wintering are better in open water than in gulfs, the herring remain in the open sea. In warm years young herring enters the Barents Sea in autumn, from November to December, but in cold years during later months, from December to March. In intermediate years, young herring enter the sea in autumn and winter. The distribution pattern of herring in the Barents Sea has been investigated mainly by analyzing the stomach contents of cod. As a result, the pattern characterizes, to a degree, the distribution of cod.