In the port of Ribeira (La Coruña), the mood of the fishermen who have anchored early in the day near the fish market is constant. The ocean, with almost no waves and as still as a mirror, may be ideal for photography, however … Not for people who go out to sea before sunset in search of seafood. «There are a few crabs but they are a good size“There is not much quantity, although it is better than other years,” admits the captain of San Manuel de Lax.
There’s still about a month left until some of the most important dates of the year arrive, and as with the nougat and chocolate sales, the switching on of lights and Christmas carols, they’re getting closer and closer. Fish and seafood prices start to rise from November. It is a symptom of the tendency to acquire and freeze these products to avoid the sharp rise in December that was directly witnessed in fish markets and in Galician markets. An example of this is Ribeira, where the weight of the fishing catch represents up to a third of the municipality’s GDP and where “expensive” or “expensive” have become the most common adjectives to describe its distinctive products.
“Good and nice, but it hasn’t been cheap lately,” admits the manager of one of the stalls in the Ribeira market. At the gates of December, The main increases were observed in lobster and lobster. First sale data from the Repairense market show a 39% increase in the price of the first between October and September, reaching an average of 22.53 euros per kilo, a wholesale price to which the seller’s portion must be added, making it practically impossible to find lobster for less than 30 euros per kilo today. In the case of cancer, expectations indicate that it will easily exceed the barrier of 20 euros per kilo.
“We are talking about cancers that actually appeared in November Prices have reached above 70 euros per kilo. Which is not entirely logical, highlights Basilio Otero, president of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Unions. This is an anomaly that could last until December, because although rain and wind are common this month, every day that fishing is not possible will have an impact on the pockets of Spaniards.
“What comes is sold”
Although, as expected, it will not be until the long weekend next December – from the 6th to the 8th – when prices rise significantly, the strong demand for purchasing these products is already evident despite the prices.
Another example of this is the food market in Santiago de Compostela, where the queues and empty spaces in the capital’s displays reflect the general feeling of fish vendors: there is a shortage of product. «Everything that arrives sells out quickly“The platform has already closed and there is almost no product left,” says Marisol. Like the fishermen, many in the market fear that if the sea is bad in the coming days, the supply of key products such as seafood or scallops will be more complicated, to the point that, within a month, “there will be no more left,” says another market worker.
Fishermen unload crabs in the port of Ribeira (La Coruña)
Although prices vary between stalls, it is now common to find lobster at 55 euros per kilo, barnacles at 75, lobster at 30 or squid also at 30 euros per kilo. However, employers warn, The biggest increase is occurring in supermarketss, this does not mean that those who prefer to buy fresh or frozen products in this place also face the general increase.
70 euros per kilo
This is the price that crab samples reached in November, while in cases such as barnacles it has already exceeded 75 euros per kilo, and in other products such as crab or squid it has reached 30 euros.
At the Congelados Salamanca stand, Julio also points out how some particularly sought-after species e.g Octopus or prawns They move to the colder, deeper waters of the North Atlantic on these dates, which also means additional difficulty that translates into an 8-9% increase in price in both cases.
Regarding who They chose to purchase the product and freeze itOr facing Christmas, Julio remembers that the process “has nothing to do” with the one performed on the already frozen fish and seafood that his display resembles. It takes “half a minute” to freeze them from pick up, making them fresher than those bought from the market and refrigerated at home.
He and the rest of the workers agree that the best advice is:Don’t wait until the last minute» To buy Christmas Eve dinner, waiting to see what the weather will be like and whether the sea will be kind to the fishermen.
Fishing restrictions
Although the increase in demand largely explains the traditional increase in prices before Christmas, as is the case in any price escalation process Multiple factors coexist Which accumulates, although its consequences are difficult to imagine. In this sense, regulations such as quotas set by product or a veto on trawling in 87 areas in the north-eastern Atlantic, which were approved by the European Commission and appealed by Spain, but to no avail, are added to the chronic labor shortages and generational change that plague the fish and shellfish fishery.
A set of circumstances that, although they seek to protect the marine ecosystem and ensure the future of the activity, in fact represent a constraint that hinders the continuity and profitability of the sector, warn organizations working in the sector.
“After the closure of the 87 areas, the reality is that longline fishermen are at the bottom, Those who use a hake skewer catch significantly less by 30%.. “It is logical that this would have an impact on quantity and price,” says Javier Jarat, Secretary General of the Spanish Fisheries Confederation (CIPESCA).
Taking this situation into account, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food last Monday extended an additional 7,339 fishing days to the Mediterranean Fleet – that is, an additional 13 days on average per vessel – allowing activity to continue until the end of 2025 given the number of fishing vessels that remained inactive after complying with the legally established quota.
The oxygen balloon has been gratefully received by the sector, although in reality it will only be a temporary remedy for a problem that may become more complex in the future if the latest proposal from the European Commission on the management and fishing of fish in the Mediterranean for 2026 succeeds. It will be discussed in Brussels on 12 December.
“To our surprise, the committee It proposes an additional 65% reduction than we had in 2024. This means that in practice, it is given as a starting point that each boat fishes an average of nine to ten days per year. “It’s ridiculous,” says Secretary General Cibieska.
It is not the only front facing the sector, as its sights are also focused on negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom to agree on total allowable catches of shared species, among which are some species of particular interest such as hake, rooster or monkfish from the Gran Sul fishing area.
Meanwhile, year after year, other less important regulations occur, e.g Recent changes in traction networks Which adds costs and barriers that inevitably have consequences for product prices that continue to rise.