The most widespread pink-legged gull in North America, the herring is common in the east and mainly a winter visitor in the west. Hybrids can be locally common (mainly in the wescat). Polytypic.

"Because it's not just the herring we need to think about. It’s also all the marine mammals, seabirds, crabs, bears, raccoons, coyotes, and other animals that rely on the herring spawn for food ...

Dungeness crab, Pacific herring, and red abalone are among the marine species most vulnerable to the changing climate's ...

The annual British Columbia herring fishery is underway, but not without controversy. Critics, including First Nations and conservationists, are calling for a moratorium on the herring harvest.