Overall, sales were down by 850 tons, compared to the same period of 2017. The amount of sardines sold dropped almost to half, while mackerel sales increased.
Sales at the docks of Portimão and Tavira retracted, whereas auctions at Olhão, Vila Real de Santo António and Lagos were all up.
The Olhão dock did the best business this year, having sold the most fish of all of the Algarve docks, transacting almost 4.9 thousand tons, followed by Portimão (2.5 thousand), Lagos (1.4 thousand), Vila Real de Santo António (919 tons) and Tavira (244 tonnes).
The average value per kilogram of fish sold at Algarve auctions came in at around €3.64, which represents a decrease compared to last year when a kilo of fish was worth €3.73.
Algarve boats caught around 1.3 thousand tons of sardines, registering a sharp decrease in quantity compared to 2017, when 2.5 thousand tons were brought to land, although their sale price at auction shot up by almost one euro on last year, rising from €1.66/kg to €2.55.
Due to the reduction of the sardine-fishing quota, the trawlers had to fish for more mackerel, a species of lower commercial value, which resulted in less demand for sardines and greater demand for mackerel.