Species FAO code: SPR

Sprattus sprattus

Page contents

Commercial designations
Production methods and fishing gears
Conservation measures
Marketing standards
Species distribution and habitat
Species description
Combined Nomenclature

Commercial designations

Country	Commercial designations	Names accepted or permitted locally or regionally
Austria	de Breitling de Brisling de Sprott de Sprotte	–
Belgium	fr Sprat nl Sprot	–
Croatia	hr papalina	–
Cyprus	el παπαλίνα	–
Czech Republic	cs Šprot severní [Sprattus sprattus balticus synonym for Sprattus sprattus] cs Šprot obecný [Sprattus sprattus balticus synonym for Sprattus sprattus] cs Sardinka severní [Sprattus sprattus balticus synonym for Sprattus sprattus] cs Sardinka obecný [Sprattus sprattus balticus synonym for Sprattus sprattus]	–
Denmark	da Brisling da europæisk brisling	–
Estonia	et Kilu [Sprattus sprattus balticus synonym for Sprattus sprattus] et läänemere kilu [Sprattus sprattus balticus synonym for Sprattus sprattus] et Lõunaeuroopa kilu [Sprattus sprattus phalericus synonym for Sprattus sprattus] et musta mere kilu [Sprattus sprattus phalericus synonym for Sprattus sprattus] et Lääneeuroopa kilu [Sprattus sprattus sprattus synonym for Sprattus sprattus]	–
Finland	fi kilohaili sv vassbuk sv skarpsill sv brisling	–
France	fr sprat	–
Germany	de Sprotte de Sprott de Brisling de Breitling	–
Greece	el Παπαλίνα	–
Hungary	hu sprotni hu spratt	–
Ireland	en European sprat ga Salán Eorpach	–
Italy	it Papalina it spratto	–
Latvia	lv Brētliņa	–
Lithuania	lt atlantinis šprotas	–
Luxembourg	de Sprotte [Clupea sprattus synonym for Sprattus sprattus] de Breitling [Clupea sprattus synonym for Sprattus sprattus] de Breitling de Brisling de Sprott de Sprotte fr sprat [Clupea sprattus synonym for Sprattus sprattus] fr sprat	–
Malta	en European sprat it Papalina mt Laċċa kaħla mt Sardina ħadra mt Sardinella	–
Netherlands	nl Sprot	–
Poland	pl Szprot pl brisling	–
Portugal	pt Espadilha	–
Romania	ro Sprot [Sprattus sprattus phalericus synonym for Sprattus sprattus] ro Sprot ro Sardeluță [Sprattus sprattus phalericus synonym for Sprattus sprattus]	–
Slovakia	sk šprota severná	–
Slovenia	sl papalina	–
Spain	es Espadin	Asturias: Trancha Asturias: Lacha Balearic Islands: Amploia Catalonia: Amploia Galicia: Trancho
Sweden	sv Skarpsill sv brisling	–

Main production methods

Caught

Main fishing gears

Source: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. FishBase. Sprattus sprattus (Linnaeus, 1758)

TACs and quotas

Total allowable catches (TACs) or fishing opportunities, are catch limits (expressed in tonnes or numbers) that are set for most commercial fish stocks. TACs are set annually for most stocks (every two years for deep-sea stocks) by the Council of fisheries ministers. TACs are shared between EU countries in the form of national quotas. For each stock a different allocation percentage per EU country is applied for the sharing out of the quotas. Read more: TACs and quotas

Stocks (2021-2022)

SPR/03A.

Sprattus sprattus

Fishing areas

27.3.a Skagerrak and Kattegat (Division IIIa)

TAC

19529.0 t

This quota may only be fished from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

Union

18064.0 t

This quota may only be fished from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

13086.0 t

This quota may only be fished from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

4951.0 t

This quota may only be fished from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

27.0 t

This quota may only be fished from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

Stocks (2020-2021)

SPR/03A.2

Sprattus sprattus

Fishing areas

27.3.a Skagerrak and Kattegat (Division IIIa)

TAC

38029.0 t

The quota may only be fished from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

Union

35177.0 t

The quota may only be fished from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

9642.0 t

The quota may only be fished from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

25482.0 t

The quota may only be fished from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

53.0 t

The quota may only be fished from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

Stocks (2021-2022)

SPR/2AC4-C

Sprattus sprattus

Fishing areas

27.4 North Sea (Subarea IV) Union waters
27.2.a Norwegian Sea (Division IIa) Union waters

TAC

87186.0 t

This quota may only be fished from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

Union

83855.0 t

This quota may only be fished from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

993.0 t

This quota may only be fished from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

78553.0 t

This quota may only be fished from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

993.0 t

This quota may only be fished from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

1330.0 t

This quota may only be fished from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

993.0 t

This quota may only be fished from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

993.0 t

This quota may only be fished from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.

Stocks (2020-2021)

SPR/2AC4-C

Sprattus sprattus

Fishing areas

27.4 North Sea (Subarea IV) Union waters
27.2.a Norwegian Sea (Division IIa) Union waters

TAC

169778.0 t

The quota may only be fished from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

Union

158778.0 t

The quota may only be fished from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

1821.0 t

The quota may only be fished from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

1821.0 t

The quota may only be fished from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

144154.0 t

The quota may only be fished from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

1821.0 t

The quota may only be fished from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

1821.0 t

The quota may only be fished from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

1330.0 t

The quota may only be fished from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.

Stocks (2021)

SPR/3BCD-C

Sprattus sprattus

Fishing areas

27.3.d.31 Bothnian Bay (Subdivision 31) Union waters
27.3.d.28 East of Gotland or Gulf of Riga (Subdivision 28) Union waters
27.3.b.23 Sound Union waters
27.3.d.30 Bothnian Sea (Subdivision 30) Union waters
27.3.d.27 West of Gotland (Subdivision 27) Union waters
27.3.c.22 Belt Sea Union waters
27.3.d.32 Gulf of Finland (Subdivision 32) Union waters
27.3.d.29 Archipelago Sea (Subdivision 29) Union waters
27.3.d.26 Southern Central Baltic - East (Subdivision 26) Union waters
27.3.d.24 Baltic West of Bornholm (Subdivision 24) Union waters
27.3.d.25 Southern Central Baltic - West (Subdivision 25) Union waters

TAC

Not relevant

Union

222958.0 t

65460.0 t

42517.0 t

11513.0 t

25539.0 t

30845.0 t

13933.0 t

11158.0 t

21993.0 t

Stocks (2021)

SPR/7DE.

Sprattus sprattus

Fishing areas

27.7.d Eastern English Channel (Division VIId)
27.7.e Western English Channel (Division VIIe)

TAC

1446.0 t

Union

414.0 t

4.0 t

61.0 t

284.0 t

Stocks (2021)

SPR/F3742C

Sprattus sprattus

Fishing areas

37.4.2 Black Sea Union waters

TAC

Not relevant

Union

11475.0 t

8032.5 t

3442.5 t

Specific requirements that fishery products marketed in the EU shall meet. They include freshness and size categories.

Freshness categories

	A	B	Extra
Eye	Convex and slightly sunken; dark pupil; slightly opalescent cornea	Flat; blurred pupil; blood seepage around the eye	Convex, bulging; blue-black bright pupil, transparent ‘eyelid’
Gills	Less bright colour, paler at edges. Transparent mucus	Becoming thick discoloured opaque mucus	Uniformly dark red to purple. No mucus
Smell of gills	No smell or seaweed. Neutral smell	Slightly sulphureous fatty smell, rancid bacon cuttings or rotten fruit	Fresh seaweed; pungent; iodine
Gill covers	Silvery, slightly red or brown	Brownish and extensive seepage of blood from vessels	Silvery
Consistency of flesh	Fairly rigid, firm	Slightly soft	Very firm, rigid
Skin mucus	Slightly cloudy	Milky	Aqueous, transparent
Skin	Loss of lustre and shine; duller colours; less difference between dorsal and ventral surfaces	Dull, lustreless, insipid colours; skin creased when fish curved	Bright pigmentation, bright, shining iridescent colours; clear distinction between dorsal and central surfaces

Size categories

Size	weight/fish	Number of fish/kg
1	≥ 0.004 kg	≤ 250.0

This species is subject to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2136/89 of 21 June 1989 which defines the standards governing the marketing of preserved sardines and the trade descriptions for preserved sardines and preserved sardine-type products. More

Habitat

Saltwater
Brackish water

FAO major fishing areas

Source: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. FishBase. Sprattus sprattus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Distribution maps

Source: Aquamaps - Computer Generated Native Distribution Map for Sprattus sprattus

Source: FAO - FAO aquatic species distribution map of Sprattus sprattus

Scientific name

Sprattus sprattus

Author

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Rank

Species

FAO code

SPR

Morphological description

Lower jaw slightly projecting, gill cover without any bony radiating striae, teeth rarely present on vomer; belly with a strong keel of scutes; last two anal fin rays not enlarged. No dark spots on flanks. Pterotic bulla absent.

Taxonomic classification

ClassActinopterygii
- OrderClupeiformes
  - FamilyClupeidae
    - GenusSprattus
      - SpeciesSprattus sprattus

Synonyms

Meletta vulgaris Valenciennes, 1847
Spratella pumila Valenciennes, 1847
Clupea latulus Cuvier, 1829
Clupea papalina Bonaparte, 1846
Clupanodon phalerica Risso, 1827
Sprattus sprattus phalericus (Risso, 1827)
Sprattus sprattus phalearicus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Sprattus sprattus phalerica (Risso, 1827)
Clupea sprattus balticus Schneider, 1908
Spratella sprattus baltica (Schneider, 1908)
Sprattus sprattus sprattus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Spratella serdinka Nikolskii, 1923
Sprattus sprattus balticus (Schneider, 1908)
Clupea schoneveldii Krøyer, 1846
Clupea sulinae Antipa, 1904
Clupea sprattus Linnaeus, 1758
Spratus spratus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Source: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. FishBase. Sprattus sprattus (Linnaeus, 1758)

An annually revised goods classification scheme used in EU for the purposes of customs duty and foreign trade statistics. The scheme is based on the Harmonized System nomenclature, further extended with Community subdivisions. Each subdivision is identified by an eight-digit numerical code. Read more: Combined Nomenclature

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Sprattus sprattus

Commercial designations

Main production methods

Main fishing gears

Gillnets and similar nets

Purse seines

Trawls

TACs and quotas

Stocks (2021-2022)

Stocks (2020-2021)

Stocks (2021-2022)

Stocks (2020-2021)

Stocks (2021)

Stocks (2021)

Stocks (2021)

Freshness categories

Size categories

Habitat

FAO major fishing areas

Area 27 - Atlantic, Northeast

Area 34 - Atlantic, Eastern Central

Area 37 - Mediterranean and Black Sea

Distribution maps