Climate Change Turns Sardines Into a Scarce Commodity in Germany

Sardines have become difficult to find in parts of Germany. Aldi Nord, Rewe, Lidl, Kaufland and the delivery service Picnic have all reported disruptions, affecting both store brands and branded products.

Aldi Nord cited challenging fishing conditions. Rewe described the situation for raw materials as tense across Europe, while Lidl pointed to rising demand as another reason supplies could fall short in some places. Retailers said they were working with suppliers to restore availability.

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The availability of sardines is currently partly restricted because of challenging conditions in fishing.

The main fishery serving Europe, off the coasts of Morocco and Western Sahara, has suffered years of declining stocks, according to Stefan Meyer, managing director of the Fish Information Centre in Hamburg. Moroccan fisheries data show landings fell from 965,000 tonnes in 2022 to 525,000 tonnes in 2024.

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There is currently a tense raw-material situation across Europe.

Meyer attributed the decline to climate change, altered marine conditions and intense fishing pressure. Morocco responded with tighter management, and since February 2026 it has sharply restricted or suspended frozen sardine exports to protect domestic supplies. That decision is particularly important for European processors because Morocco had been their largest supplier.

Stocks of the European sardine, Sardina pilchardus, have recovered in the waters off Spain and Portugal, Meyer said, but catches there cannot fill the gap. He does not expect a quick improvement in the market and considers higher prices possible. Manufacturers are increasingly turning to sardine-like fish such as sardinella, which are found mainly in the Indian Ocean, the western Pacific and tropical Atlantic waters.

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For European processors, this is particularly relevant because Morocco had been the largest supplier.