This film is part of Free

Landing European Sprat

A large catch of sprats is landed in Weymouth Harbour.

News 1963 Silent

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Overview

A record-breaking catch of sprats is brought into Weymouth Harbour. Holy Trinity Church in the distance dominates the southern side of the harbour near to Town Bridge where the haul is being landed. The sprats are cured and placed in barrels ready to be transported. High in nutritional value sprat is part of the herring family with silvery skin and sometimes confused with juvenile sardines.

It is important to say here that whitebait is a term for a mixed fried fish dish, usually herring, sprat and other juveniles, and not actually a fish but a collective noun! Sprats are a schooling fish so are under pressure from industrial fisheries and they are a prey fish and would be eaten by predators like cod, haddock or pollack and although it is unknown if collapse in smaller fish stocks have in turn for example pushed cod stocks down, it may be one of the reasons for this. Sprats are on the Marine Conservation Society's amber so some way off from being a sustainable fishery. The Marine Stewardship Council is responsible for certifying a fishery as sustainable.