According to the order, from 3 June until midnight of 31 July, fishermen will then be able to capture up to 5,000 tonnes of sardines.

These 5,000 tonnes are to be distributed among the group of vessels whose owners are members of the organisations and producers for sardines.

Since September 2018, fishermen from Portugal and Spain have been unable to catch sardines in a bid to protect the stock, following a recommendation from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) for 2019, with the agreement of the European Commission.

These catch limitations should “ensure the management of catches until July, as well as the protection of juveniles by adjusting the quantities of sardines classified as T4 by the fleet, and by implementing real-time closures, measures taken by both countries in the recovery plan.”

Last week, Portuguese and Spanish fishermen were outraged by the proposal of catches of 10,799 tonnes of sardines this year, already confirmed by the government, asking in Brussels for the reassessment of the quota based on recent scientific research.

The sardines’ fisheries organisations have called for “negotiations to be re-opened in July and fishing opportunities to be re-analysed.”