Sprat

Sprattus sprattus

4: OK - Needs improvement How we work out the ratings

What to check for

Location

Baltic Sea (Subdivisions 22-32)

Technical location

Atlantic, Northeast, Baltic Sea, Transition Area - Belt Sea, Transition Area - Sound

Caught by

Net (pelagic trawl)

Rating summary

This Baltic Sea sprat stock is in a healthy state, but fishing pressure is too high. There are management measures in place for this fishery which are partly effective. Most of the catch is taken by pelagic trawlers. Pelagic trawlers are well-targeted and have few habitat impacts, however, there is concern around the bycatch of herring.Rating last updated July 2025.

Technical consultation summary

Sprat in the Baltic Sea (Subdivisions 22-32) remains in a healthy state, although biomass has been declining. Fishing pressure is too high. The spawning-stock biomass (SSB) has been fluctuating above MSY BTrigger since the 1990s. In 2025 it is predicted to decline to 572,087t. It remains above MSY BTrigger, which is 541,000t. Fishing mortality (F) has fluctuated around FMSY since the 2010s. It declined from 0.42 in 2019 to 0.37 in 2021, but has since increase to high 0.46. This is above FMSY (0.34) and Fpa (0.35), but below the GFG proxy for Flim. Therefore, the stock is subject to overfishing and there is concern for fishing levels. Some but not all appropriate relevant management measures are in place for Baltic sprat. There is a management plan, but catches in recent years have exceeded scientifically recommended limits, and the stock is being overexploited. There is an EU multi-annual management plan (MAP) for the sprat, herring and cod in the Baltic Sea, which includes harvest control rules for setting catch limits based on stock status. However, the MAP does not include Russia, which accounts for around 17% of catches. Between 2020 and 2024, the combined Total Allowable Catches (TACs) set by Russia and the EU averaged 266,972t, which is 106% of the scientifically advised limits (251,265t). Catches were 273,240t - 102% of the TACs and 109% of the advice. There are some concerns relating to data available for assessing and managing the fishery. No information on Russian Federation catches for 2022- 2024 were officially reported to ICES. Species misreporting of herring and sprat has occurred in the past, and ICES reports that this is an ongoing problem. Most Baltic sprat is caught by midwater trawling. This method of fishing does not usually make contact with the seabed. However, in this area there are concerns about bycatch of herring, which is critically depleted. Sprat are caught by midwater, or pelagic, single and pair trawlers in a mixed sprat-herring fishery. The species composition of these catches is not always clear. Species misreporting occurs, and therefore total herring bycatch is uncertain. Western Baltic Spring Spawning herring, which is found in subdivisions 20-24, has a zero catch recommendation because it is highly depleted. Bycatch of this stock is mainly by the North Sea herring fishery, but there is also some bycatch by the Baltic sprat fishery. Therefore, this fishery is possibly contributing to the decline of herring or preventing its recovery.

How we worked out this Rating

Sprat in the Baltic Sea (Subdivisions 22-32) remains in a healthy state, although biomass has been declining. Fishing pressure is too high.Catches of sprat in this area declined to around 40,000 tonnes in the 1980s followed by a peak of over 500,000t in the 1990s. They have stabilised at around 270,000t in recent years.Stock assessments are carried out annually by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The most recent assessment was published in 2025 using data up to 2025. The next assessment is expected in 2026.The stock assessment defines reference points for fishing pressure (F) and biomass (B). For fishing pressure, there is a target to keep F at or below Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY). For biomass, there is no target. However, there is a trigger point (MSY Btrigger). Below this level, F should be reduced to allow the stock to increase. Because BMSY is not defined, the Good Fish Guide applies its own definition of 1.4 x MSY Btrigger.The spawning-stock biomass (SSB) has been fluctuating above MSY BTrigger since the 1990s. It has declined from 1.083 million tonnes in 2021 to 597,371 t in 2024. In 2025 it is predicted to decline further to 572,087t. It remains above MSY Btrigger, which is 541,000t, but has been declining and is below the GFG proxy for BMSY (757,400t) Therefore, the stock is considered fully fished.Fishing mortality (F) has fluctuated around FMSY since the 2010s. It declined from 0.42 in 2019 to 0.37 in 2021, but has since increase to high 0.46. This is above FMSY (0.34) and Fpa (0.35), but below the GFG proxy for Flim. Therefore, the stock is subject to overfishing and there is concern for fishing levels.ICES advises that when the EU multiannual plan (MAP) for the Baltic Sea is applied, catches should not exceed 224 616 tonnes. This would equate to FMSY, and is projected to allow the stock to increase by 13% in 2027. The advised catch for 2026 is 36% higher than the previous years advice in 2025. This is due to the strong 2024 year class.Species misreporting of herring and sprat has occurred in the past, and ICES reports that there is evidence that this is an ongoing problem. This has not been accounted for in the assessment. Misreporting undermines the data quality used in the assessment and introduces into the assessment and advice a level of uncertainty that cannot be quantified.No information on Russian Federation catches for 2022 and 2023 were officially reported to ICES, but some information was publicly available. These catches account for around 15% of the total. The impact on the quality of the assessment has not been quantified.

Some but not all appropriate relevant management measures are in place for Baltic sprat. There is a management plan, but catches in recent years have exceeded scientifically recommended limits, and the stock is being overexploited.Baltic sprat is caught by the EU and Russia as part of a mixed fishery with herring. Herring stocks in this area are overexploited, and therefore fishing effort for sprat could have a negative impact on herring stocks.Stock assessments are carried out annually by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). There is an EU multi-annual management plan (MAP) for the sprat, herring and cod in the Baltic Sea, which includes harvest control rules for setting catch limits based on stock status. However, the MAP does not include Russia, which accounts for around 17% of catches.Between 2020 and 2024, the combined Total Allowable Catches (TACs) set by Russia and the EU averaged 266,972t, which is 106% of the scientifically advised limits (251,265t). Catches were 273,240t - 102% of the TACs and 109% of the advice. In recent years, the EU has set sprat TACs below the limits advised by its management plan because of poor recruitment in the sprat population and the poor state of the herring stock in the area. However, total catches are exceeding advice. There is no formal agreement between the EU and Russia on how to allocate catches to ensure total limits do not exceed advice. This indicates that the current management approach is not protecting the stock from overexploitation.There are some concerns relating to data available for assessing and managing the fishery. No information on Russian Federation catches for 2022 - 2024 were officially reported to ICES. Therefore, the Russian Federation catches for 2022 - 2023 included in ICES' assessment were based on publicly available information, which doesn't include biological data and the quality can not be determined. Species misreporting of herring and sprat has occurred in the past, and ICES reports that this is an ongoing problem. Reported landings of flounder in recent years are suspected to be sprat or herring but have not been included in assessments. ICES has not quantified the impact of either of these on the stock assessment.There is no minimum conservation reference size for this stock. Undersize fish are used for industrial fisheries, e.g. for feed in fish and animal farming.The EU and UK both have fishery management measures, which can include catch limits, population targets, and gear restrictions. However, compliance in the EU and UK has been inconsistent, with ongoing challenges in implementing some regulations. The goal of reaching Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) by 2020 was missed, with less than half of UK TACs in 2024 following ICES advice. In 2024, the EU and UK reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable fisheries by aligning management with scientific advice to gradually approach MSY. However, no new target date has been set for achieving MSY across all fisheries. The Landing Obligation (LO), an EU law retained by the UK post-Brexit, requires all quota fish to be landed, even if unwanted (over-quota or below minimum size). It aims to encourage more selective fishing methods, reduce bycatch, and improve catch reporting. However, compliance is poor, and accurate discard levels are hard to quantify with current monitoring programmes. The UK is in the process of replacing the LO with country-specific Catching Policies.The Marine Conservation Society views Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) with cameras is one of the most cost-effective tools for providing reliable fisheries data and aiding informed management decisions. Fully monitored fisheries enhance collaboration, data accuracy, stock recovery, and reduce impacts on marine wildlife and habitats. However, the full potential of REM may only be achieved when it tracks fishing location and documents catch and bycatch, particularly where vulnerable species and habitats are at risk. As of January 2024, the EU is introducing a Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) mandate for EU vessels, including CCTV cameras on vessels 18m or more that pose a potential risk of non-compliance, within the next 4 years. Across the UK, different approaches to REM are being taken and legislation is expected to be in place across all 4 countries within the next few years.

Most Baltic sprat is caught by midwater trawling. This method of fishing does not usually make contact with the seabed. However, in this area there are concerns about bycatch of herring, which is critically depleted.Baltic Sea sprat is found in subdivisions 22-32, which are known as the Belt Sea (22), Sound (23), and Baltic Sea (24-32). Most catches are from subdivision 26 (38%), with much of the rest from subdivisions 28 and 29 (28% and 14%, respectively). These are in the central and southern Baltic Sea. The fishery is carried out all year, but the main season is in the first half of the year in most countries. In the northern part of the Baltic, ice cover is a limiting factor for all fishing operations.Sprat are caught by midwater, or pelagic, single and pair trawlers in a mixed sprat-herring fishery. The species composition of these catches is not always clear. Species misreporting occurs, and therefore total herring bycatch is uncertain. Western Baltic Spring Spawning herring, which is found in subdivisions 20-24, has a zero catch recommendation because it is highly depleted. Bycatch of this stock is mainly by the North Sea herring fishery, but there is also some bycatch by the Baltic sprat fishery. Therefore, this fishery is possibly contributing to the decline of herring or preventing its recovery.Bycatch of endangered, threatened and protected species in the Baltic Sea is mainly by gillnets and longlines. Issues have not been reported in the pelagic trawl fishery.Sprat and herring are important prey species for marine mammals, seabirds and cod. Cod in the Baltic Sea is also highly depleted, and the impact of removal of prey species needs to be considered. ICES has advised that a spatial management plan is developed for fisheries that catch sprat, with the aim to improve feeding conditions for cod.The Baltic Sea ecosystem is experiencing a number of wider challenges, including warming waters from climate change, resulting in hypoxia in a number of areas.

References

Anon, 2023. Joint NGO recommendations on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2024. Available at https://www.fishsec.org/app/uploads/2023/08/230712_FINAL_JOINT_NGO_BSR_TAC_PAPER_2024_v2.pdf [Accessed on 04.07.2025].EU, 2016. Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2016 establishing a multiannual plan for the stocks of cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea and the fisheries exploiting those stocks, amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2187/2005 and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1098/2007. Available at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32016R1139 [Accessed on 04.07.2025].EU, 2024, Press Release: Council agreement on 2025 catch limits on the Baltic Sea. 22 October 2024. Available at: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/10/22/baltic-sea-council-agrees-on-catch-limits-for-2025/ [Accessed on 04.07.2025].EU, 2023. Press Release: Council agreement on 2024 catch limits in the Baltic Sea. 24 October 2023. Available at https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/67495/table-council-agreement-on-2024-catch-limits-in-the-baltic-sea-draft-002.pdf [Accessed on 13.06.2024]. ICES, 2022b. Baltic Sea ecoregion – fisheries overview. In Report of the ICES Advisory Committee, 2022. ICES Advice 2022, section 4.2. Available at https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.advice.21646934 [Accessed on 13.06.2024].ICES, 2023. EU standing request on catch scenarios for zero TAC stocks 2023; western Baltic spring-spawning herring (Clupea harengus) In Report of the ICES Advisory Committee, 2023. ICES Advice 2023, sr.2023.9a. Available at https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.advice.23500722 [Accessed on 13.06.2024].ICES, 2023. Stock Annex: Sprat (Sprattus sprattus) in subdivisions 22–32 (Baltic Sea) ICES Stock Annexes. 11 pp. Available at https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.22800791 [Accessed on 13.06.2024].ICES. 2023. Technical Service on unavoidable bycatches in various Baltic fisheries. In Report of the ICES Advisory Committee, 2023. ICES Advice 2023, sr.2023.14b. Accessed on https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.advice.24799266[Accessed on 04.07.2025]ICES, 2024. Baltic Sea ecoregion – Ecosystem overview. In Report of the ICES Advisory Committee, 2024. ICES Advice 2024, Section 7.1, Available at: https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.advice.27256635 [Accessed on 04.07.2025].ICES, 2025. Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group (WGBFAS). ICES Scientific Reports. 7:61. 684 pp. Available at: https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.29099786. [Accessed on 04.07.2025]. ICES, 2025. Sprat (Sprattus sprattus) in subdivisions 22–32 (Baltic Sea). In Report of the ICES Advisory Committee, 2025. ICES Advice 2025, spr.27.22–32. Available at: https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.advice.27202893 [Accessed on 03.07.2025].