Allis shad were widely distributed in Western Europe at the end of the 19th century. The distribution ranged from Scotland in the North to Morocco in the South and in Germany they were found in all large rivers draining to the North Sea.
The fishery on allis shad in spring was very important and freshly caught shads were sold on the market and in restaurants. In the last 100 years the distribution range of the species has decreased dramatically and large shad populations only exist in France today. As a consequence allis shad is listed as priority species in Annex II and V of the Habitats Directive. In Germany allis shad is listed as extinct or suffering from extinction in the Red List.
Top: The Garonne in the southwest of France [ Enlarge Photo ]
Bottom: Allis shad market in Düsseldorf (around 1900) [ Enlarge Picture ]
