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European Sprat

Quality mark Cultivation
/Keurmerk Wild
Green
Second choice
Avoid
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General

Herring-like fish

There are two families in the order Clupeiformes; the herring family (Clupidae) and the anchovy family (Engraulidae) and are relatively small, silver-coloured fish.  They swim in large, pelagic schools and feed on plankton. They are occasionally found near the shore, however they usually swim further out in the open sea at depths up to 200 m. Most species are capable of producing a lot of eggs each spawning event, up to 200.000 per adult female. A large share of the global wild catch consists of haring-like fish. Not everything is used for direct human consumption, a large share is processed as fish meal or fish oil that form the essential ingredient for fish feed in aquaculture. Haring-like fish swim in large schools which makes them susceptible to large scale (industrial) fishing.

 

 

 

 

European Sprat

European sprat is a culinary undervalued fish of the herring family. It is found in large schools in coastal waters from northern Norway to the Mediterranean. In summer sprat is in shallow coastal water, in winter they migrate to deeper water. Sprat can also survive in water with a low salinity, such as the Baltic Sea. European prat is a fast grower that lives for a maximum of four years. It remains small with a maximum length of 16 cm (average 12). Sprat is an important species in the diet of predatory fish.

 

European Sprat

Sprattus sprattus
Origin

Atlantic Ocean, north-east (FAO 27)
Deelgebieden: Skagerrak and Kattegat

Farming- / Catch method

Midwater otter trawl, Purse seines

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Explanation assessment

The Danish industrial fishery by DFPO and DPPO has been MSC-certified in 2017. This fishery is fishing on European sprat, lesser sand eel and Norway pout with purse seines and midwater otter trawls. The main part is used to make fish meal.

Sprat swims high in the water column, so fishing has no bottom impact. There is however a lot of bycatch of young herring. Young herring is hard to differentiate from sprat and is also often found in the same school. This bycatch is often landed and calculated with the herring bycatch quota that is applied to the sprat fishery.

The European Commission determines a TAC for sprat every year. This has however not fully been used in the past years, because the fishery was limited by the herring bycatch restrictions that are applied. To limit the bycatch of young herring are there next to the bycatch quota also closed areas and closed periods.

European Sprat

Sprattus sprattus
Origin

Skagerrak, Kattegat, Sound, Belt, Baltic Sea (FAO 27)
Deelgebieden: Sound

Farming- / Catch method

Midwater otter trawl, Bottom trawls

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Fish stocks and fishing pressure
Ecosystem effects
Fishery management
Final assessment
Explanation assessment

European sprat is a small, common fish from the herring family. Sprat is caught for the canning industry, to smoke, for bait, but mainly for the fish meal and fish oil production. Sprat grows fast and reaches up to 4 years of age. Sprat is lightly fished.

This fishing method is not harmful to the seabed, but there is a lot of bycatch of young herring. Young herring is hard to differentiate from sprat and is also often found in the same school. This bycatch is often landed and calculated with the herring bycatch quota that is applied to the sprat fishery.

The European Commission determines a TAC for sprat every year. This has however not fully been used in the past years, because the fishery was limited by the herring bycatch restrictions that are applied. To limit the bycatch of young herring are there next to the bycatch quota also closed areas and closed periods.

 

 

European Sprat

Sprattus sprattus
Origin

Skagerrak, Kattegat, Sound, Belt, Baltic Sea (FAO 27)

Farming- / Catch method

Bottom trawls

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Fish stocks and fishing pressure
Ecosystem effects
Fishery management
Final assessment
Explanation assessment

The size of the stock of European sprat in the Skagerrak and Kattegat is unknown, but seems to be growing. The catches are often higher than the determined catch limits.

Sprat swims high in the water column, so fishing has no bottom impact. There is however a lot of bycatch of young herring. Young herring is hard to differentiate from sprat and is also often found in the same school. This bycatch is often landed and calculated with the herring bycatch quota that is applied to the sprat fishery.

The European Commission determines every year, based on scientific advice, a catch limit (TAC) for sprat. This is however often exceeded in the Skagerrak and Kattegat.

 

ASC label

Fish with the ASC label is farmed in a sustainable manner.

MSC label

Fish with the MSC label is caught sustainably.

Good fish

This fish is not being overfished or is being responsibly farmed, with minimal impact on the environment.

Second choice

This fish is a second choice. There are still some improvements to be made in this fishery or fish farm.

Avoid

Do not buy this fish. It's being overfished or the way it's farmed or caught has a negative impact on the environment.

Welfare

There is fish available of this species that is farmed or caught using high welfare standards.

GlobalG.A.P.

GlobalG.A.P. certified farms are doing a step in the right direction in terms of sustainability. A few species with this label are getting a better score on the VISwijzer.

Organic

Organic standards are the strictest when it comes to fish feed. They also require certain measures for animal well-being.