The average price of sardines almost doubled during the first nine months of this year compared to the same period in 2011, according to official figures released by the Direcção-Geral de Recursos Naturais, Segurança e Serviços Marítimos.
The increase has been caused by the fact that the quantity of sardines caught this year has fallen by almost 50% and a kilo, which on average sold in auction at 97 cents last year is now €2.37.
The price at auction in the fish market in Portimão, regarded as the barometer of the national trend, registered an increase of just over 40%.
In global terms, the auction markets sold a total of 16.8 thousand tons of fish this year.
