The migratory process of the anchovy has led to sales this week at the Nueva Rula de Avilés of 400,000 kilos from 67 Asturian, Galician, Cantabrian, and Basque purse seine vessels.
The Avilés fishing ground had to wait two months from the start of the fishery – on March 10th – for the purse seine vessels dedicated to its capture to locate the Engraulis encrasicolus, in its scientific name, in fishing areas near Avilés, a requirement for the Avilés fish market to be the optimal place for unloading and sale.
As explained by the manager of the Avilés Fish Market, Ángel Muñoz, this situation occurred more prominently on Thursday. On Friday, the fishery moved back to the East (Lastres, Tazones, and Villaviciosa) in search of larger fish. «Nevertheless, numerous vessels chose Avilés for unloading and sales despite the distance, mainly due to the speed and efficiency of the services we provide,» he commented.
Throughout the week, the Avilés dock received many vessels, crews, and buyers, including some of the most powerful canning companies in Spain. Muñoz wanted to highlight «the dedication and professionalism of all the staff at the Avilés Fish Market, committed to carrying out the various services – weighing, categorizing, selling, replacing boxes – by our entire staff in an agile and very competent way, with the aim of allowing the boats to return to the fishing grounds or rest as quickly as possible.»
Unlike other species, the anchovy auction takes place continuously, after the unloading of each vessel, from early morning until the afternoon. Around 90% of purchases were made by canning companies, with the remaining catches for fresh consumption available for sale in fishmongers, supermarkets, and large retailers.
VISIT OF JOSÉ ANDRÉS
The end of the sales week coincided with a visit to the Avilés Fish Market by a group of cardholders from the American financial services company Capital One, with Asturian chef José Andrés as their exceptional guide.
Throughout Friday morning, they had the opportunity to witness the arrival of numerous purse seine vessels at the Avilés dock, the unloading of the catches, their weighing and categorization, and the auction process.
During their visit, they were accompanied by the manager of the Nueva Rula de Avilés, Ángel Muñoz, and its deputy director, Mario Pidal. Their time at the Avilés fishing dock ended with a visit to the facilities of Cetárea Nordeste, where they were attended to by its owner, Julio César Suárez, and enjoyed a tasting of seafood products.
