Sardine price is the highest in the last 20 years – publico

 
         

                 

                         
                     

                 

 
 

The national auctions have never had so little sardines to sell and they have is being traded at the highest price of the last 20 years. The INE data for 2015 reflect the consequences of the limits to catch this species (the pilchardus sardina) in force since 1 March 2015 and end on 31 July this year. The quota of 6800 tonnes, are a conservation measure of sardines and are decided by government order.

In a country that, in June, consume 13 sardines per second (and already consumed more), this it means that the price of fish is expected to reach record highs in its largest sales peak, the time of the popular saints. In 2015 they were traded 13,729 tons of sardines, the lowest amount since there are statistical records by species. According to the INE, between 1995 and 2015 discharges ranged at an average annual rate of -8.5%. Looking at the last four years, it is found that the average amount fished in the order of 22 000 tons, was 65.6% below the average discharged in the period (64 000 between 2005 and 2011).

When the amount is low and demand is high, the market law prevails and price triggers. The statistical office said that the average price of sardines negotiated in national auctions reached 2.19 euros a kilo, the highest in 20 years. In 1995, the value traded was 0.31 euros per kilo. Over the past four years, the average price almost tripled compared to the average recorded between 1995 and 2011.

In 2016 the trend remains. Another recent analysis of the INE indicates that in March, the sardine catch fell 98.7%. This month reached the auction only six tons of this species, again following the government order which set the limits for fishing by purse seine on the mainland coast. In May 2015, the discharged amount was 447 tonnes.

Humberto Jorge, President of Anopcerco, the National Association of Purse Seine Fishing Producer Organisations, warning that any comparison has to be made in the light of stops of the fishing fleet. Last year, the boats did not go out between January and April and then from September to December. They were, therefore, “atypical months”. As the catch occurred in the strongest months in terms of consumption, “the average price is higher,” given that the sardine “is highly valued in the summer.” “There are consequences of restrictions and that forced us to drastically reduce the offer at auction,” he said.

The latest data coming to Anopcerco reveal that “despite the restrictions,” including a day of ban Wednesdays in May, “we are reaching similar to last year and even higher levels. Reveals that there’s plenty of action in the Portuguese coast, “he stresses.

In July there will be reviewing the limits on fishing and Anopcerco hopes that fishermen have like ceiling the same value last year,” since the “resource is in recovery.”

last year, in addition to lowering the amount hake and price increase, the limits on sardine fishing had other effects. On the one hand, fishermen were obliged to replace this species other. On the other hand, imports skyrocketed, even surpassing the volume sardine fished by national operators.

The horse mackerel and mackerel were the most common alternatives. And if in 2015 the national fishing fleet could increase the overall catch value (119,900 tons in 2014 to 140.8 tons), much is due to these two species. Mackerel, incidentally, was the most caught fish in Portugal in 2015 and weighed 33% in the total volume of fresh or chilled fish catches. . But the horse mackerel – that also have quotas but still far from exhausted – increased by 33.7% the volume of catches

In May this year, the trend also remained: the amount of mackerel fished grew 15.2%, to 51.8% of tunas and pescadas16%.

As for the price, horse mackerel and mackerel are unable to compete with sardines. The amount charged to the discharge was on average 1.01 euros a kilo in the case of horse mackerel, less than half the sardines, and has been falling over the past four years. The INE stresses that the data (a decrease of 4.4% compared to 2014, for example) seem to “indicate that this species is not proving to be as a real alternative to sardines.” Already mackerel recorded an average price increase of 2.3% compared to 2014 but its value at auction did not go beyond the 28 cents per kilogram, or 7.9 times below the price reached by sardines.