European Sprat

Biology and habitat

Species description
The European sprat belongs to the family of Clupeidae.

Geographical distribution and habitat
European sprat is a small pelagic species found in the Northeast Atlantic, from North Sea and Baltic south to Morocco and in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

Resource, exploitation and management

Stock and resource status/conservation measures
There is no minimum conservation size define in the conservation measures. Sprat stocks are managed through TAC (Total Allowable Catches) and quotas.

Production methods and fishing gears
The main fishing gears used are gillnets and similar nets, seines and trawls.

Source: Information system on commercial designations

Catches

Evolution of world catches

European sprat catches reached 425.000 tonnes in 2023, i.e. 0,5% of the global catches. The majority of this is caught by the EU fleet in the North Atlantic, as well as by Russia and Turkey. European sprat catches have decreased by 14% at global level between 2014 and 2021 in relation to the decrease of the EU and Turkish catches (-18% and -33% respectively) while catches of Russia increased by 91%. Since 2021, catches remained relatively stable.

Source: FAO

Evolution of EU catches

In 2023, EU catches of European sprat reached circa 318.000 tonnes. 33% of sprat catches by the EU fleet is used for non-food purposes. EU catches have fluctuated during the last decade with a peak at almost 543.000 tonnes in 2015, mainly due to the variations in TACs and quotas, especially for Denmark. Denmark is the first producer of European sprat (32% in EU catches, 24% of global catches), followed by Poland (19% of European catches and 14% of the world catches) and Sweden (17% of EU catches and 12% of global catches).

Source: FAO

Aquaculture production

No aquaculture production of European sprat has been developed, as it would not be competitive (low sale prices).

Processing

In PRODCOM database, the code concerning canned sprat also includes sardinellas and sardines but, depending on the producing country, it is possible to assume which species are included.

There is one PRODCOM code refering to sprat:

• 10 20 25 30: preserved or prepared sardines, sardinella, brisling and sprats
   

Canned sardines, sardinella, brisling and sparts

The EU production of canned sprat, sardines and sardinellas totaled 87.847 tonnes in 2023 (most recent data available for the whole EU). The EU production has decreased by 22% over the period between 2014 and 2023.

In 2023, the main producers of sprat were Poland (19%, assumed to be sprat) and Latvia (18%, also for sprat). Spain and Portugal also reported significant production of “canned sprat, sardines and sardinellas”, but in these countries it is assumed that the production consists only in sardines and sardinellas and not sprat. Over the 2014-2023 period, Latvian production has decreased sharply by -68% while Polish production has increased by 39%.

Source: EUROSTAT/PRODCOM

(*) data for 2023, 2022 and 2021 was incomplete for France, Spain and Latvia. Values from the previous available year were used to estimate the EU production.

Trade

Combined nomenclature 

EU trade of sprat products (tonnes –  2024)

• Extra-EU imports reached over 900 tonnes in 2024, of which 71% were fresh. EU imports originated almost exclusively from Norway, reaching around 900 tonnes and representing 95% of total EU imports of sprat in volume terms in 2024. The main import markets in 2024 were Denmark and Poland, representing 75% and 22% respectively of total imports volume.

Extra-EU exports: In 2024, exports totaled over 20.000 tonnes. Almost all exports concerned frozen sprat and 51% of the EU-exports originated from Estonia. Other sprat exporters included Latvia (21% of the volume exported) and Poland (18%). In 2024, Ukraine was by far the main market for EU exports, accounting for 51% of total volume (10.262 tonnes).

Source: EUMOFA

Supply balance

EU supply balance (2023) – Tonnes of live weight equivalent – Sprat:

Source: FAO/ EUROSTAT-COMEXT

Supply balance is provided for the year 2023 (trade data for 2023 were taken into account). Detailed trade data provided in the slide 4 concern the year 2024.
The conversion factors were used to convert net weight of imports and exports of fishery and aquaculture products into live weight equivalents. 
Production figure used in this supply chain is different from the production figure provided in the slide on catches (i.e. slide 2) as only production for human consumption has been considered.

Prices along the supply chain (EUR/kg)

First-sale
First-sale prices are provided for the main EU producers, Denmark, Poland, and Sweden.

(*) From January to September 2025

Wholesale (fresh)
Wholesale prices are reported for Rungis (France).

(*) From January to October 2025

Retail/consumption
Retail prices are reported for Latvia.

(*) Latest available year 

Extra-EU import (frozen whole)
EU imports from third countries concern mainly frozen sprat, prices are given for the main importers within the EU in 2024 (Poland and Denmark).

(*) From January to September 2025

Extra-EU export (frozen whole)
Estonia is the main EU exporter of sprat, followed by Latvia and Poland. EU exports are mainly composed of frozen whole sprat.

(*) From January to September 2025

Marketing

National lists of commercial designations

Information system on commercial designations and scientific names in all EU languages

Applicable marketing standard

Consumption

Sprat is not among the 15th most consumed species in EU (source: The EU Fish Market – 2025 edition, EUMOFA

Apparent consumption per capita of sprat (all species included) in 2023: 0,29 kg live weight equivalent (source: Supply balance – 2023, EUMOFA).

Nutritional value (European sprat, nutrition values per serving 100g)