Slight recovery Flemish Fish Auction continues

Sole and plaice remain the toppers, but, just like in Nieuwpoort, cuttlefish is on the rise. Cuttlefish is a type of squid.

In 2022, more than 13,000 tons of fish were supplied to the Flemish Fish Auction, which is a lot more than last year, when there was a lot of uncertainty about Brexit. But even now the fishery has its problems. Tom Premereur: “The high fuel prices make it difficult to set sail. We should be very grateful to the Belgian shipowners for always investing sustainably in more economical engines. We are now reaping the benefits of that.”

The fish supplied is good for a sum of more than 78 million euros, which in turn is a significant increase. “We see that the supply in Europe has dropped significantly. There are a large number of vessels abroad that have stopped sailing or have stopped fishing. Auctions have also been closed. A smaller supply has led to a higher demand here, and therefore higher prices.

Sole, plaice, monkfish and cuttlefish

Sole and plaice occupy the first places in terms of supply, cuttlefish are in fourth place just after monkfish. However, Europe is cutting quotas. “That could mean less tongue. We hope that we can exchange a bit of quota. But it is not good news at all. To exchange quotas is to exchange quotas between different Member States. If you have too much of something, you can exchange it with another Member State for another species.”

Good news is that the fish can be landed again in Milford and other English ports, which means that the fish can reach our country more quickly.