Sardine Availability Declines in Germany
Sardines are becoming increasingly difficult to find in several major German retail chains, including Aldi Nord, Rewe, Lidl, and Kaufland, which have all acknowledged experiencing temporary shortages. The primary reason for this scarcity is attributed to a significant decline in sardine catches off the coast of Morocco, compounded by a recent suspension of frozen sardine exports from the region. Aldi Nord has confirmed that certain product lines may be temporarily unavailable due to challenging fishing conditions, while Rewe has highlighted a broader shortage of raw materials across Europe, affecting both brand-name products and its private label offerings. Lidl has pointed to a surge in demand as a contributing factor to its supply issues, acknowledging sporadic unavailability of products. Similarly, Kaufland and the delivery service Picnic have also been impacted by this situation, as reported by bladi.net.
Declining Catches and Export Restrictions
The primary sourcing area for the European market is located off the coasts of Morocco and the Sahara, where landings have plummeted from 965,000 tons in 2022 to just 525,000 tons in 2024, marking a dramatic reduction of approximately 46%. According to Stefan Meyer, director of the Hamburg Fish Information Center, the outlook for 2025 does not appear to improve, as he attributes the diminishing catches to climate change, shifting marine conditions, and the pressures of fishing. This decline in Moroccan sardine catches is already forcing foreign industries to seek alternative sources of supply. On February 1, 2026, Morocco announced a suspension of frozen sardine exports to safeguard national market supplies and stabilize prices, a decision made public by Secretary of State for Maritime Fisheries, Zakia Driouich. While this restriction does not apply to already processed canned goods, it does deprive European canneries of a significant portion of the raw materials they previously sourced from Morocco.
Although sardine stocks have rebounded off the coasts of Spain and Portugal, the volumes caught in the North East Atlantic are insufficient to compensate for the shortfall from Morocco. As a result, a swift market recovery appears unlikely. Manufacturers may be compelled to raise their prices or substitute some sardine products with smaller sardines from regions including the Indian Ocean, the Western Pacific, and tropical waters of the Atlantic. In Germany, the initial effects of these supply challenges are already becoming evident on supermarket shelves.
