Traceable Species

European Sardine

Pilchard
European Sardine

The European sardine is a migratory, ocean-dwelling fish that can be found in the Northeast Atlantic from the North Sea southward to Bay de Gorée, Senegal. It can also be found in the Mediterranean, the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. These fish form in schools at depths between 25 to 100 metres during the day, rising to 10 to 35 metres at night.

The body of the European sardine is bright silver and nearly cylindrical, with a rounded belly. This species has a series of dark spots along upper flanks of its body, sometimes with a second or even third series below.  It is usually cooked whole once gutted, and is great on the barbeque. 

European Sardine

The European sardine breeds at 20 to 25 metres below sea level, ranging from the shore to as far as 100 km out to sea. They breed in April in the English Channel, June to August in the North and Black Seas, September to May off the European coasts of the Mediterranean, and November to June off the African coasts of the Mediterranean. The European sardine feeds mainly on planktonic crustaceans, but also larger organisms.

Food Info European Sardine

TASTING NOTES

  • Colour: whitish 
  • Texture: delicate small flakes
  • Flavour: Small pilchards have a delicate flavor while larger pilchards have a fuller, oilier flavor. 
  • Perfect serve: Grill them of course! Grilled over charcoal with olive oil lemon and salt is all you need.
HOW TO CHOOSE A QUALITY EUROPEAN SARDINE
Species Range
European Sardine range Source: Fishbase.org
COMMON NAMES
Pilchard
FISHERY OPENINGS
European Sardine by Gill Net Jun 01 - Oct 31
These crabs mate at the time of maturity, which is approximately 3 years of age. Females are smaller than males; this is because the development of reproductive tissues required more energy for females, leaving less energy available for continued body growth. They grow through a process known as molting—regularly shedding their shell and growing a new, larger one. They continue to molt and grow after they have reached sexual maturity. During the breeding season, the crabs leave their borrows in a phenomenon characterized by mass mate-searching events. Once mating/fertilization has occurred, females spawns in the water. The larvae released during the rainy season develop in offshore waters and return to coastal waters five to eight weeks after larval release.
Mangrove crabs are important fishery resources in all Brazilian coast, mainly in the north and northeast where many fishermen depend upon their catch. In addition to its social and economic importance, the mangrove crab is a “keystone” species in ecosystem, they playing an important role in the processes of nutrient cycling and energy transfer.

Fishing Methods

{'fisheries': [<License: Cornish Sardine by Ring and Drift Nets>], 'gear': <Gear: Ring or Drift Net>}

Ring or Drift Net

This fishery primarily uses a ring net to catch sardines in which a wall of netting is set around a school of sardines to capture them. Some fishermen also use drift or gill nets, which is a wall of netting that entangles the fish by their gills as fish swim into the drifting net.

FISHERIES:

{'fisheries': [<License: Moroccan Sardine by Purse Seine>], 'gear': <Gear: Purse Seine with skiff>}

Purse Seine with skiff

Fish harvesters encircle a large wall of netting around schools of fish and pull the bottom of the netting closed, like a drawstring purse, to capture the fish.

FISHERIES:

{'fisheries': [<License: European Sardine by Gill Net>], 'gear': <Gear: Sardine Gill Net >}

Sardine Gill Net

This fishery uses curtains of netting suspended by a system of floats and weights to catch sardines. The fine netting is almost invisible so sardine unwittingly get caught in the mesh.

FISHERIES:

{'fisheries': [<License: Brittany Sardine by Purse Seine>], 'gear': <Gear: Purse Seine>}

Purse Seine

Fish harvesters encircle a large wall of netting around schools of fish and pull the bottom of the netting closed, like a drawstring purse, to capture the fish.

FISHERIES:

Featured Harvester Bernie Berry

Mangrove Crab Harvester

Canavieiras, Brazil

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