Pacific Herring Spawn Index for British Columbia Since 1951

Pacific Herring spawn index data provides a relative index of spawning biomass for British Columbia from 1951 to the present. The dataset is maintained by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and includes notes on data availability and regional classifications.

Use Cases

• Analyze long-term trends in the spawn index to assess changes in Pacific Herring spawning biomass over time.
• Examine regional data to compare spawn index values inside and outside defined stock assessment region boundaries.
• Use the spawn index as a relative biomass indicator for fisheries management and population modeling in British Columbia.

Strengths

• Provides a continuous time series of spawn index data spanning over 70 years, from 1951 to present.
• Includes documented caveats and a technical report to guide proper interpretation of the data.
• Managed by the authoritative government agency, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, for the region.

Limitations

• Contains 'NA' values where data is incomplete, withheld, or from locations outside assessment regions, which may limit analysis.
• The spawn index is a relative measure, not an absolute biomass count, which requires careful interpretation.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Time Range

1951 to present

Freshness

Updated as of March 2026.

Geography

British Columbia, Canada