Sea trout
Sea trout can grow to a maximum length of 1.4 meters and weight of 20 kilograms. Sometimes, a large sea trout is mistaken for salmon. However, sea trout is not as scarce as wild salmon. It eats gammarids, insects, lesser sandeel, herring and worms. In order to increase the number of sea trout in the rivers in Western Europe, (sport) fishing for sea trout is now forbidden. The direct intention is to bring this species back into West European rivers.
Sea trout is categorized as a vulnerable fish species on the Dutch Red List of protected freshwater fish.
(Sport) fishing for sea trout has been forbidden since June 1 2000. If caught, they must be thrown immediately overboard and are not allowed to be landed. It is the explicit purpose that this species returns again to the rivers of Western Europe.
Sea trout and brown trout belong to the same species: Salmo trutta. The one migrates to the sea (sea trout) while the other one does not. One used to think that they were two subspecies, but that is not the case.
Salmon and sea trout are difficult to distinguish from one another. According to the rule of thumb, a salmon can be picked up by its tail, whereas a sea trout cannot. The tail root of the sea trout is namely just as thick as the tip of the tail (and therefore slips easily out of your hand), while the tail root of the salmon forms a nice handhold because it is thinner.
The Danish Institute for Fishery Research performed studies between 1994 and 1997 on the presence and fishing of sea trout in the Danish wadden region. The study showed that around 48,000 young sea trout migrate annually between the Wadden Sea and the rivers. In ideal circumstances, that could be 365,000 specimen. Around 40% of the young sea trout are 'wild' specimen, the other 60% are farmed.
A study of the migration routes of sea trout and salmon in 1996, whereby 266 fish were provided with a receiver, showed that sea trout still find the route to their spawning ground via the IJsselmeer and the IJssel. Between 1996 and 1999, only 69 of the 266 fish with receivers were counted migrating upstream.
Distribution of sea trout
Names:
Dut: Zeeforel
Lat: Salmo trutta
Eng: Sea trout (salmon trout)
Ger: Meerforelle
Fra: Truite de Mer
Dan: Havørred (ørred)
Source: de Vleet, Ecomare
