European smelt

Identification

The European smelt is a small, slender silvery fish with a translucent body. The back is light green to grey-green, the flanks and belly have a silver sheen. Characteristic is the relatively large mouth with sharp teeth — surprisingly predatory for such a small fish. The smelt has a distinctive cucumber smell: freshly caught smelt literally smells of fresh cucumber. An adipose fin behind the dorsal fin reveals kinship with the salmon order. Most specimens are 10-15 cm, but in nutrient-rich waters smelt can grow to 25 cm.

Behavior & ecology

The European smelt is an anadromous fish living in large shoals in the open water of lakes, estuaries and coastal waters. In spring (February-April) smelt migrate up rivers and streams to spawn in shallow flowing water. The species feeds on plankton, small crustaceans and fish larvae. The smelt is a keystone species: it is the primary food source for pikeperch in the IJsselmeer and Markermeer. Declining smelt populations have direct consequences for pikeperch stocks and the entire food chain.

Fishing techniques

The smelt is hardly targeted by sport anglers in the Netherlands, but is historically an important food fish:

• Rod and line — as bycatch when light coarse fishing on the IJsselmeer or Wadden Sea; small hooks (size 18-22) with maggot
• Eel traps — smelt are sometimes caught as bycatch in fyke nets and traps

Fried smelt was once a popular delicacy in Amsterdam and other Zuiderzee cities. Since the closure of commercial smelt fishing in the IJsselmeer, this tradition has largely disappeared.

In the Netherlands

The smelt is native and was historically one of the most abundant fish in the IJsselmeer. Due to the closure of the Zuiderzee (1932) and ecosystem changes, the population has fluctuated greatly. In good years there are billions of smelt in the IJsselmeer; in bad years, hardly any. The species is not on the Red List but commercial smelt fishing has been closed since 2012 to protect pikeperch stocks. The smelt is also found in the Wadden Sea, Zeeland delta and along the North Sea coast.