HOME Foreword History Off-shore Fishery Coastal Fishery Inland Waters Vendace All the Year round In Lake Päijänne Future Statistics

I In inland waters vendace has always been the most important target species. In the best years its share of the total catch has been nearly 80 %, which compares with herring in the sea regions. The stocking of vendace – unlike that of herring - has been successful in many lakes, with the exception of the mountain lakes. A perfect example of the successful stockings are the rich vendace stocks in Lake Pyhäjärvi in Säkylä in western Finland, where vendace was not among the original species. Great fluctuation of year classes is typical of vendace, and the characteristics of the stocks in different lakes vary to a great extent. Rich and sustaining vendace stocks can be found in lakes where strong year classes are produced year after year. In such conditions fishing can even increase the vitality of the stocks by decreasing the internal competition of the species. Smaller shoals of vendace find food more easily and grow faster, which increases the amount of eggs and improves the possibilities of successful spawning. This is the case in Lake Pyhäjärvi in Säkylä, for example, where fishable year classes are produced almost every year.