Another Fish on the Endangered Species List

The tiny, inoffensive little anchovy is now on the endangered species list. This silvery salt water fish has long been on menus across the world in some form or another and has certainly been around in Europe since the time of the Romans but now is regrettably in decline.

This fish is from the Engraulidae family and normally grows to no more than about 9 inches in length (around 20 cm), has sharp teeth, resembles a mini version of the herring and it's diet consists mainly of plankton and fry from other species of fish. It can be found throughout the world but it's primarily found in temperate conditions rather than cold or hot. It's most abundant in the Mediterranean (notably the coasts of Italy, France and Spain) but can be found as far afield as North Africa and along the Atlantic coast of Europe as far north as Southern Norway. It spawns round about October through to March and spawning takes place close to the surface of the water and at least 60 miles (around 100 km) from the shore.

Our love of the anchovy in Europe goes way back to the Roman days. It's believed it was a primary ingredient in garum, a fish paste which was used as a condiment, much enjoyed by Romans of all classes and to this day it remains a vital ingredient in some of our everyday condiments such as Worcestershire sauce and Gentlemen's Relish, the latter being a fish paste made of fish, butter, herbs and spices which, here in England is served in sandwiches, sometimes with cucumber or cress ... or sometimes served on thin buttered toast.

The anchovy also plays a part on the Asian menu in the dipping sauces of nuoc mam and nam pla. It's eaten in India, normally dried but sometimes fresh. If it's fresh it's usually fried or put into spicy curries and is a good source of protein in the Indian diet. In fact throughout Asia it's used in fish stocks, sauces and soup, but it's mostly recognised throughout the world as an ingredient in pizza and pasta!

Unfortunately due to their versatility in our diet we seem to have overlooked the fact that, just like the tuna and cod, anchovies are being exploited and over-fished thanks to the dragnet and trawler . Such is their decline here in Europe that The Marine Conservation Society have added this dying breed to the ever increasing list of fish on the endangered list. This has already led to reduced catches off the Atlantic coast in Portugal and the closure of the Biscay Bay fishery. Hopefully this measure isn't too little too late to save it as it would be a blow to the world if one of our most versatile little fish was to be driven to total extinction.

"So what", many of you are thinking, "I don't like anchovies anyway", but consider that these small fish have not only become a part of our diet, but are also a vital source of nutrition to sea mammals and fish including halibut, rock fish and sharks and also birds such as the pelican and the tern.

So yet another store cupboard standby has been knocked off my shopping list - at least for the time being!!