The Dutch descended in droves on the seaport of Scheveningen on Saturday to gorge themselves in an annual ritual — grabbing a raw herring fillet by the tail, tilting their heads back and tucking in.

"There's nothing quite like it," enthused 26-year-old Marijn van Driest.

She travelled some 60 kilometres to the seaside suburb of The Hague to partake in Vlaggetjesdag (Flag Day), marking the arrival of the season's first catch.

"It tastes of the sea. Almost like oysters. And it is salty. I love it," he said.

The delicacy savoured by the Dutch for centuries is available for just over a month every year, from the end of May when the fish are fat enough from eating plankton flourishing in the warmer weather, to the beginning of July when they start building up roe.

Not the same as fish

Also called Maatjes herring, derived from the Dutch word for virginal, the Hollandse Nieuwe must contain at least 16 percent fat.

The hand-sized fish is gutted and cleaned, with only the pancreas left intact to provide the enzymes needed for the curing process helped on by a good salting.

The fish are filleted immediately before consumption.

"The Maatjes herring is a completely different kind of fish. Here in The Netherlands we have always talked about herring and fish as separate things," said Nico de Jong, chairperson of the Dutch Herring Wholesale Association.

He said the tradition started centuries ago when fishermen salted the herrings to preserve them well while at sea. Those caught closer to the landing were more lightly salted.

"Nowadays with modern freezing facilities, the Maatjes herring are lightly salted from the start."

There are slight regional differences in preparation preferences, also stemming from the olden days when Hollandse Nieuwe destined further inland had to be salted more heavily.

Some herring fans, notably in Amsterdam, cut the fish in pieces — a habit frowned upon by those closer to the coast.

"You must eat it with onions," proclaimed Fred van Biezen, who said he had budgeted to eat about 10 herrings at some two euros (three dollars) apiece during Saturday's festivities.

'I don't think the tradition will die'

"The onions give the spice that is needed."

Others baulk at the addition of raw onions, pickles or bread. "It is at its best eaten naturally," stated Anne Buitenhek, who says she has enjoyed the delicacy for seven decades.

However it comes, the Netherlands with its population of about 16 million consume some 100 million herrings every year.

Sadly, only about five percent of the total annual catch in the North Sea is nowadays made by Dutch crews, with only two vessels left to specialise in herring as others focus on species found closer to the Dutch coast.

The bulk of the Hollandse Nieuwe consumed in The Netherlands is caught farther north by fishermen from Norway and Denmark, said De Jong.

Herring stocks have been dropping and resultant quotas have put pressure on the industry, as North Sea fishermen contend with a 42 percent reduction in their allowed catch for this year.

"We have had three or four bad years," De Jong told AFP. "The scientists are unable to explain the drop in the young herring population — it could be because of the warming of the waters, it could be a lot of other reasons."

And skyrocketing fuel prices were further threatening the industry as soaring input costs have caused retail prices to climb by about 10 percent.

De Jong also said the Dutch taste for Hollandse Nieuwe appeared to be ageing somewhat.

'It is our way of life'

"Younger people are just thinking about McDonald's. But then, in middle life, people start thinking about eating more healthy things. The herring is a very healthy fish, packed with Omega 3 fats."

As Dutch fisheries authorities conceive of special campaigns to re-enthuse the younger generation, there was little evidence of waning interest at Scheveningen with young and old queuing patiently to place their order at any of the numerous stalls.

With the smell of fish grew stronger as the day got longer, people from all walks of life and different ethnic backgrounds grouped around small tables, biting into their herring fillets with great gusto.

"I don't think the tradition will die," said De Jong.

"We have good years and we have bad years, but it is our way of life."

AFP