Conducted by the International Seafood Consulting Group (ISCG) and funded by Eastern Finland based Kalaleader, the Järvikuoreen kohdennetun trooli- ja talvinuottapyynnin kehittäminen project explored ways to develop targeted catching of European smelt using trawling and seining as needed.
Trials to investigate the prospects for seining smelt were held in Keitele, located in eastern Finland, in April 2024. The results indicated that the best way to catch as much smelt as possible and as little vendace as possible, seining should be done near the bottom. However, fishing grounds can differ immensely, and pulling a seine near the bottom is not possible in all bodies of water due to their rocky bottom. The quality of the smelt caught from under the ice in winter is excellent and is highly suitable for the export markets.
Trawling smelt was tested in the waterways around Iisvesi at the end of August 2024. The most notable discovery was that the smelt catch was significantly larger with a fine-meshed, thick-threaded, widely cut trawl, as opposed to the conventional thin-threaded, tightly made vendace trawl. Therefore, when fishing specifically for smelt, it is best to use as thick-threaded and finely meshed trawl as possible. It is especially important to use a finely meshed (10 mm) and thick-threaded codend. The trials revealed that trawling depth did not influence the composition of the catch. However, in the fisherman’s experience both trawling depth and season significantly influences the composition. The quality of the trawled smelt was good.
To summarize, the project provided a more precise understanding of the development prospects of smelt fishing in the targeted area. Targeted and profitable commercial smelt fishing calls for advancement of fishing technology and strategy. Catches of 1,000 kg/day are indeed possible, although avoiding bycatches is not entirely possible with seining and trawling. Development in this area will most likely continue if the market outlook for European smelt becomes more positive. According to the current market data, a demand of 100 tonnes of European smelt per year could be located abroad. New freezing and packaging methods are needed to develop sales and acquire new customers and markets. Currently, ISCG is looking into how to make exports more cost-efficient and whether there is a need for individual quick freezing (IQF) in Finland.
