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Dieren en planten

Fish   Cod family   Cod   Haddock   Whiting   Fish biology   Fish communities   Marine fauna   Sea fish   
  • Dut: Wijting (Molenaar, Mooie meid)
  • Lat: Merlangius merlangus
  • Eng: Whiting, silver hake
  • Ger: Wittling, Merlan
  • Fren: Merlan
  • Dan: Hvilling
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Whiting, Ecomare

Whiting

Whiting is a common predator fish in the North Sea. It can grow up to 70 centimeters long and three kilograms in weight. Young whiting eat cuttlefish, crustaceans and worms. The older animals eat eel-pout, sprat, lesser sandeel, herring, cod and haddock. Since whiting also hunts in the upper water column, the stock is threatened by the industrial fisheries, which catch many young whiting during their quest for Norway pout.

  • Fried fish

    Whiting in the Netherlands is not much appreciated as a consumption fish; it is a traditional treat for the cat. However, it is sold in England as 'fish and chips'. Whiting is also used as feed for cattle and fish farms. The Dutch treat 'lekkerbekjes' (fried fish) is often made from whiting.

  • Distribution of whiting
    Distribution of whiting, Ecomare
  • Whiting stock in the North Sea
    Spawning stock and yield of whiting (North Sea), Ecomare

    The spawning stock of the whiting was around the safe biological minimum in 1990.
    In 1998, the situation for whiting was worrisome. The spawning stock had never been as low as the previous 35 years. The recent year classes were weak so that recovery was not in sight. Fishery biologists advised catching no more than 30,000 ton whiting for human consumption and 10,000 tons for fish-meal production in the year 1999. For the year 2000, the advice was a maximum catch of 32,000 tons for human consumption and 29,000 tons for other purposes.
    In 2000, the quotum for the Dutch fishermen was strongely reduced once again. In order not to exceed the quota, the fishermen fishing in the southeren North Sea threw dozens of tons of bycatch whiting overboard. Most of the fish did not survive this maneuver. Originally, the spawning stock slightly recovered (up to almost 200,000 tons in 2002), but afterwards declined to 100,000 in 2005, despite a continually low fishery pressure. Just like cod, whiting is a source of worry among the North Sea fish.