Report | November 30, 2022
BRIEFING: Recommendations for the management of forage fish in the Northeast Atlantic
Forage fish, also called prey fish, are small to medium sized schooling species that live in pelagic waters, such as Norway pout, capelin, anchovy, sandeel, sprat and more. They typically feed on planktonic species, contributing significantly to the diets of many marine animals higher up the food web. These small fish make up over half of the total fisheries landing in the Northeast Atlantic caught for human consumption and industrial purposes. They form the backbone of marine ecosystems and the carbon cycle by being a staple diet of many marine predators (seabirds, marine mammals, and predatory fish) and transferring critical energy, carbon, and nutrients across the food web.
Forage fish warrant careful fisheries management plans as they are essential for maintaining a balanced marine ecosystem, are sensitive to degradation and environmental change given their proximity to the bottom of the food web and are increasingly vulnerable to climate change. In the Northeast Atlantic, the main forage fish species targeted by commercial and industrial purpose fisheries include blue whiting, capelin, greater silver smelt, herring, horse mackerel, mackerel, Norway pout, sandeel, sardine and sprat.

