Great silver smelt < Other demersal fishes < Main species < Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture

Great silver smelt

5-Great_silver_smelt-(D)-Great_silver_smelt--(copyright-Jon_B_H)

Great silver smelt

^{Illustration: Jón Baldur Hlíðberg}

Great silver smelt fishing grounds in 2008 (t/nm²), all gear combined, dark areas indicate highest catches.

^{Source: The Marine Research Institute}

Great silver smelt catch (t) in Icelandic waters

^{Source: ICES, Statistics Iceland}

Great silver smelt catch (t) by month

^{Source: Statistics Iceland, weigh reports}

Great silver smelt catch (t) by type of processing

^{Source: Statistics Iceland, processing reports}

Value of exported silver smelt products by main countries in 2008 (FOB million ISK)

^{Source: Statistics Iceland}

Scientific: Argentina silus. English: Great silver smelt, Atlantic argentine. Icelandic: Gullax, stóri gullax. For more languages see the Marine Animal Dictionary.

Biology and distribution

The great silver smelt is somewhat herring-like in appearance. It is a streamlined fish with silvery coloration and large scales. It has huge eyes, covering almost half the head. Common size in landings is from 40 to 50 cm, but the largest individual measured in Icelandic waters was 70 cm. It can reach more than 20 years of age. The great silver smelt is a bento-pelagic fish, i.e. it occurs both close to the bottom (where it is fished with bottom trawl) and in the water column.

It occurs in European waters from the Bay of Biscay to the Barents Sea. It is found off the Faroe Islands, Iceland, southern Greenland and in North American waters from Newfoundland to Cape Cod. It is common at depths of 200 to 500 m south and west of Iceland

Catch and fishing gear

Great silver smelt is a common bycatch in Greenland halibut and redfish fisheries but has until recently mostly been discarded as it is of very low value. Recently direct fishery developed for this species and catches reached a peak of 13,387 tonnes in 1998. The current catches are around 4,000 tonnes per year.

Stock status (from the Marine Research institute)

In 2009, 10.800 t of greater silver smelt (Argentina silus) were landed; only in 1998 have the catches been higher (13.000 t). The stock is assessed with limited data and must therefore be harvested with caution. The MRI recommends a precautionary TAC of 8.000 t in the quota year 2010/2011. MRI further reiterates last year´s advice that the precautionary approach is adopted in management of the greater silver smelt fishery in order to ensure sustain-ability of the resource.

Processing and markets

The great silver smelt is usually frozen whole aboard the trawler, but also processed into fish paste. It is mostly exported to Russia and Poland where it is processed further.

References and further information

References: (Jónsson & Pálsson, 2006).

For full citation and further information on the main species in general see this page

Hreiðar Þór Valtýsson, University of Akureyri