Anchovies and Sardines
Our nutritious anchovies and sardines support communities of small, family-run businesses.
Eat the Bait
Consuming forage fish like anchovies and sardines is a way to eat lower on the food chain, which can help lessen our individual carbon footprint. Because these abundant fish have short lifespans and eat a plankton-rich diet, they don’t accumulate the high levels of toxic heavy metals found in larger fish such as tuna or swordfish, so eating these “baitfish” could also be healthier. Anchovies and sardines are an excellent source of protein and calcium. They contain large amounts of vitamin B-12, a nutrient that helps keep both nerve and blood cells healthy.* A 100-gram (3.5-ounce) serving of either fish provides three to five times the current daily requirement of vitamin B-12.
*See nutrition information for total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol content.
Sourcing
We harvest our anchovies and sardines from sustainably managed populations off Northern Spain using responsible, small-scale fishing practices. We source from family-owned fishing guilds we know personally, and we don’t rely on commodity markets. This guarantees consistency, quality and traceability.
The fishing fleet, based in the province of Cantabria, employs small-scale purse seines to minimize bycatch and ensure the highest quality of their harvest. Because these small fish shoal tightly together, the nets—which surround a school of fish and are then closed up around them—can be managed effectively to target them with minimal bycatch. The fleet fishes in-shore on shorter trips, producing fewer emissions and fresher fish that can be handled closer to when they are caught.
The harvested fish are transported to a fifth-generation family company, Conservas Antonio Pérez Lafuente (a certified B Corp that employs mostly women). There, they’re processed, seasoned and canned, turning these abundant forage fish into fresh-tasting, shelf-stable delicacies. Our anchovies, called “white anchovies” for their light color, are the exact opposite of the salty, dark-brown anchovies used for pizzas and Caesar salads. Our sardines, slightly larger than anchovies, are mild and delicate in flavor.
Why Anchovies and Sardines?
Eating forage fish (aka baitfish) takes pressure off larger, less-abundant species like tuna and swordfish.
Tuna and swordfish are long-lived and don’t reproduce quickly—and thus can’t withstand the pressures of the global market. Abundant fish that live lower on the ocean food chain, like anchovies and sardines, provide an alternative. Their quick reproduction and the strict management of the Spanish government make these little fish a sustainable resource.
The Fishing Guilds of Cantabria
In ancient villages along the Bay of Biscay, in Northern Spain, fishermen and processors work together to ensure a healthy future for fish and community alike.
All along the densely forested, mountainous coastline of Cantabria, small boats head out to sea, owned by families who have fished these waters for centuries. In this autonomous region of Spain, the fishermen who harvest our anchovies, sardines and mackerel belong to traditional cofradías, or guilds, which date back to medieval times. The guilds share profits and best practices and ensure worker safety. They’re also social institutions, with their own bars and festivals. This tradition of cooperation, with membership handed down through generations, creates a deep sense of responsibility to protect ocean resources, and the communities that depend on them, for the future.
Partners
We work with Good Fish Foundation, in Veenendaal, the Netherlands, to ensure that Bay of Biscay anchovies and sardines, as harvested by the Cantabrian fleet, remain a truly renewable resource. As one of the few major food companies that work in direct partnership with fish conservation and science organizations, our goal is to find solutions that help protect, rather than deplete, our home planet. Good Fish evaluates the sustainability of fisheries in Europe and works with fishermen, fish farmers, processors and retailers to help seafood buyers make environmentally sound decisions about what to eat. The group also publishes a sustainable seafood guide for consumers, advises chefs and is working to ensure that the Netherlands catches, farms, sells and consumes only sustainable fish by 2030.
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