Cornish fishermen warn ‘sardinemaxxing’ shoppers off cheap, unverifiable imports

Cornish sardine fishermen are warning shoppers caught up in the viral ‘#sardinemaxxing’ trend not to reach blindly for the cheapest tin on the shelf, cautioning that a wave of imported sardines with no verifiable sourcing is riding on the back of the craze.

‘Sardinemaxxing’ is the latest in a run of online ‘maxxing’ trends, following sleepmaxxing and fibremaxxing, where users film themselves pushing one habit as far as it will go in pursuit of a health boost. Here, that means eating large quantities of tinned sardines on the belief the oily fish can supercharge health and improve skin. The trend has taken off on TikTok and Instagram, and UK sardine sales are reported to be up 30% over the past 12 months*.

For the fishermen who work Cornwall’s sardine grounds, that surge in demand is being met, in large part, by tins with no traceable origin. The Cornish Sardine Management Association (CSMA), representing the small vessels that fish Cornwall’s traditional grounds, says shoppers chasing the hashtag are being sold sardines from fisheries with no comparable oversight, no independent certification and no obligation to say where the fish actually came from.

Gus Caslake, Chair of the CSMA, said sardine stocks and how they are fished and managed vary enormously between fisheries, and that shoppers reaching for the cheapest tin have no way of knowing which category theirs falls into. Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Cornish Sardine Festival in Newlyn, on 29 and 30 August, Caslake said:

“While the current popularity of sardines has prompted questions about the sustainability of sardine stocks, it’s important to know that the issues facing sardine fisheries are not identical around the world. Stocks, fishing methods and management differ between fisheries, which is why it is important to understand where seafood comes from.

“Sardines have been fished off the Cornish coast for more than 500 years, and today’s fishery is independently certified to the MSC standard for sustainable fishing. Our small vessels fish for sardines in traditional grounds close to the coastline, with fishermen, processors and scientists all contributing to monitoring and managing the fishery.

“So, while sardines might be trending online, for Cornwall they are much more than a passing craze. They are part of our fishing heritage and continue to support vessels, processors and communities today. Our message is simple: enjoy the trend, but look beyond it too. This weekend’s Cornish Sardine Festival is a great opportunity for people to meet some of the people behind the catch and discover why this small fish matters so much to Cornwall.”

Caslake’s message to shoppers is blunt: check the label. The CSMA points to the blue MSC ecolabel and clear sourcing information as the only reliable way to tell a Cornish sardine, fished under independent certification and CSMA oversight, apart from an unverified import that happens to be riding the same hashtag.

Seafish, the UK’s seafood industry authority, and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) are backing the CSMA’s message. Alex Holdgate, MSC Fisheries Outreach Manager for the UK and Ireland, added:

“Knowing that your sardines come from a sustainable source really matters. Cornish sardines have been independently certified to the MSC Fisheries Standard since 2010, supported by years of collaboration between industry, scientists and other stakeholders. That effort is reflected in the health of the stock today, with the latest estimates showing biomass at its highest level on record and catches increasing every year since 2021.

“We’ll be celebrating sardines and other sustainable species across Sustainable Seafood September next month, and hope seafood lovers get involved by choosing sustainable sardines.”

*Sales data from Seafish.