Sardine supplies are tightening at some German supermarkets as declining catches in Morocco contribute to shortages of the fish across Europe, German broadcaster NTV reported.
Several supermarkets and discount chains said some sardine products could be temporarily unavailable because of limited supplies.
German discount retailer Aldi Nord said availability had been affected by difficult fishing conditions, while supermarket chain Rewe described the situation as a “tight raw material supply across Europe,” affecting both private-label and branded products.
The supply squeeze has also affected Lidl, Kaufland and grocery delivery services, according to NTV.
Stefan Meyer, managing director of the Fish Information Center in Hamburg, said sardine fisheries off Morocco, including the waters off the Moroccan Sahara, have experienced declining stocks for years.
Meyer said the situation did not improve last year, citing climate change, changing marine conditions and high fishing pressure.
Morocco also restricted sardine exports beginning Feb. 1, including frozen, fresh and chilled products, as part of efforts to ensure adequate domestic supplies.
The European Parliament’s Directorate-General for Internal Policies has identified Morocco as one of the leading non-EU suppliers of fishery products to the European Union.
According to a study prepared for the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries, EU countries imported more than €1.61 billion worth of Moroccan fishery products in 2022.
Morocco has also been a major supplier of sardines to European markets, with imports worth about €182 million, according to figures cited in the study.
Meyer said sardine stocks off Spain and Portugal have recovered significantly in recent years, but catches there are insufficient to compensate for reduced supplies from Morocco.
He warned that the shortage is unlikely to ease quickly and could push prices higher.
As supplies tighten, producers are increasingly turning to sardine-like species such as sardinella, which are found mainly in the Indian Ocean, western Pacific and tropical Atlantic.
The developments highlight the vulnerability of European sardine supplies to changes in fish stocks, environmental conditions and fishing pressure in major producing regions.
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