Overview
- The A Coruña fish auction registered a roughly 130-tonne sardine landing on Tuesday after many vessels made double trips to supply the San Xoán demand spike.
- First-sale (lonja) prices have risen to about €1.66 per kilogram, the highest level since before the pandemic and well above typical pre-crisis figures.
- Retail sellers report fast sell-through and wide price variation with consumers paying roughly €6 to €15 per kilogram depending on gear and market, and many stalls selling out during the morning.
- Regulators capped weekly vessel catches on June 1 at 7,500 kg for larger cerqueiro boats and 5,000 kg for smaller units while the 2026 campaign quota for the Cantábrico–Noroeste was set at 9,420 tonnes.
- Longer-term market drivers include the MSC blue label recovered in July 2025, Morocco’s export limits and the reduced quota, a mix that tightens available supply, lifts prices and diverts buyer attention away from other fresh species.