The Norwegian spring-spawning herring, the world's largest herring stock, lays a blanket of roe on the seabed off the Møre coast every year in February.
The Norwegian spring-spawning herring, the world's largest herring stock, lays a blanket of roe on the seabed off the Møre coast every February. The weight of the roe is three times the total weight of the entire population of Norway. Here you can read the story of this amazing raw material.
A migratory fish species
When the ocean currents flow like a giant river northwards along the coast, herring larvae are carried far into the Barents Sea. Here the herring larvae grow into small herrings. When the herring is 3–4 years old, it swims westwards along the coast. The herring can live as long as 25 years and reach a size of 40 cm.
The importance of herring in several ecosystems
Herring are of great importance to the ecosystems along the coast, in the Arctic Ocean and in the Barents Sea. Herring can occur in huge shoals of up to 500 million individuals. It is an impressive spectacle!
Herring eat red herring and are themselves an important food source for predatory fish such as cod, haddock and other bottom-dwelling fish, in addition to whales. Large schools of killer whales follow herring on their migrations, and many other fish species come to eat herring roe and larvae. Young and adult herring are also food for seabirds. Herring are food for others throughout their lives, and only a small fraction of the roe become adult fish.
Huge quantities of herring along the Norwegian coast
Due to the abundant occurrences of herring and the enormous shoals that move close to our coast, it has been relatively easy to catch large quantities. Herring fishing has for long periods been the most important Norwegian fishing industry and has had a major impact on the economy and food supply in our country.
From the mid-1960s, overfishing led to quota-regulated catches of herring, and by 1970, virtually the entire spawning area was gone. The collapse was due to a combination of overfishing and natural fluctuations. New knowledge and strict regulations made it possible to build up the herring stock. Today, the stock of Norwegian spring-spawning herring is well monitored, precisely to ensure a large and sustainable stock.
Herring from sustainable fisheries
The herring fishery is certified by the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council), an international non-profit organization formed to ensure sustainable fisheries.
At Romega we use roe from the fishing that takes place in the winter during the spawning season along the Norwegian coast. When the herring is filleted, the roe, which is considered a waste material, can be used. Only modest amounts are used for consumption today.
What makes herring roe so special, you might wonder?
Herring roe contains the starter kit for new life, which is precisely why this is a fantastic raw material. Herring roe is very nutritious with a high protein and fat content, and it contains all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that the herring needs to develop properly.
Approximately 60% of the fat in herring roe is in the form of omega-3 bound phospholipids. The majority of the fat we get from the food we eat is triglycerides. Romega differs from many other omega-3 products on the market in its content of phospholipids.
The main raw material in Romega
The nutrients in herring roe can be useful, not only for the herring larva that will become an adult fish, but also for many other animals besides us humans. In Romega, many of these nutrients have been preserved in the process from roe to capsule.
What a unique resource nature offers us, right outside our living room window. It is not without reason that we are very proud that rum is the main raw material in Romega.
