A fish blog.com

The sand eel is a common fish in the North Sea and it is found in the coastal waters surrounding Great Britain, Iceland and Scandinavia.

Last summer I was out fishing in my small boat. I used a small fishing rod and an ordinary lure (30-40 g.). Fishing on 20 meters depth on sand bottom I was hoping to get pollack, cod or saithe. Flounders seldom take the lure.

After 10 minutes of fishing a nice cod grabbed the lure. Dinner was saved and I was hoping for more. Then something small made the rod treble. It was really something small – a sand eel. It had not managed to “eat” the lure; the hooks were stuck in its back. I released the fish. A couple of minutes later another sand eel was hauled on board.

A couple of photos were taken before I let it go. Later on I had a nice conversation with a fisherman. I told him about my rare catch. He told me that sand eels are excellent food. A couple of minutes on a frying pan was enough. Well, it was a bit too late for my sand eels. Next time (if there’ll be a next time) I will have my first sand eel-dinner.

WWF is calling on retailers to follow the example of several major European supermarket chains and stop selling Mediterranean bluefin tuna until the imperilled species is out of the danger zone.

In a press release from WWF Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean, says that: “WWF applauds Auchan in France, Carrefour in Italy, Coop in both Italy and Switzerland, and ICA in Norway for their courageous decisions to stop selling Mediterranean bluefin tuna – and we urge other retailers to follow suit. The seafood industry is waking up to its responsibilities, recognising that there is not an endless supply of fish like bluefin tuna. By taking action now, retailers can help give this amazing species a fighting chance of survival, for the benefit of both business and the marine ecosystem.”

Scientists have declared it “probable” that the magnificent bluefin tuna, the fish behind the finest sushi in the world, will soon collapse in the Mediterranean – unless action is taken now.

25-30 years ago the bluefin tuna was a common fish even in the North Sea were Norwegian fishermen cauth tuna using seine. The photo below shows bluefin tuna in Norway in the 1980’s. Photo: Arne Saltskaar.

In Scandinavia trout fishing is very popular. All trouts belong to the same specie (Salmon trutta) but there are great variations in their way of life. This also effect the seize of the fisk. This variation within the same specie has given the trout several nicknames. Here are four types of trout in Scandinavia:

The most popular type of trout is the sea trout. Above you see a photo of a sea trout and a salmon (the biggest). The sea trout has the same migration pattern as the salmon. It spends its childhood in a river and then seeks to the ocean where it lives for several years. The sea trout feeds on fish witch makes it grow fast. When it is time to spawn the sea trout migrates back to the river where it was born.

The lake trout (in Scandinavia called “Big trout”) has a similar migration pattern, but it spend its whole life in fresh water. From the river it seeks to a lake where it feeds on fish. The fish diet gives both the sea trout and the lake trout the ability to grow fast. After years of feeding in the lake the trout returns to the river to spawn.

The trout is also found in small lakes in the mountain. It may spawn in a small stream og a beck connected to the lake. The mountain trout (photo abowe) does not feed on fish, and the supply of food is limited. Feeding on insects, larval and other small organisms, the ability to grow is reduced. An adult mountain trout may weigh only a few hundred grams (30-44 cm.).

Some trouts are even smaller. In Scandinavia we call them “beck trout”. As for the mountain trout the beck trout lives in isolated stocks with a limited feeding- and migration area. The beck trout spend its whole life in a beck or a stream. It has no access to the ocean, nor lakes. Some beck trout is so small that it is hard to catch them – even with the smallest hook. Old trouts may have a maximum seize of only 15-20 cm. Photos: scanfishphoto.com

The king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticu) in the Pacific Ocean is a large crab. It can weight up to 15 kg. In the 1960’s Russian scientists transported live king crabs from the Pacific to the Barents Sea. The plan was to create a new industry for the fishermen in the area around Murmansk.

It took many years to build the stock, but (unfortunately) the Russians succeeded. In the late 1970’s the king crab invaded the northern coast of Norway. As the years went by the stock in the Norwegian waters grew, and the crab found new grounds where it could feed and spawn. In fjords and along the coastline the king crab became a problem for the fishermen. The fishing nets could be full of crabs. The king crabs were also eating the bait on the long lines.

In the 1990’s the king crabs became so numerous that they were threatening the existence of the fishermen in the fjords and along the coast in northern Norway. It took years before the fishermen were allowed to fish for the crabs. An agreement between Russia and Norway opened for a commercial fishery for king crabs in Norwegian waters in 2002.

The troubled fishermen finally got a quota. The crab that had caused so much problems and worries for the fishermen became a blessing. The crab is caught using large pots. In the last years fishing for king crabs has been the most profitable fishery for many fishermen in the northern part of Norway.

Though the situation for the fishermen got better, we still do not know how the large stock of king crab in the Barents Sea will effect the environment. The crabs are still “eating their way” east and west in the Barents Sea, and it may take many years before we are fully aware of the consequences. Around the world there are enough of tragic examples of how new species effect the nature.