How a Sardine Gets From the Ocean to a Can

Becca gives a granular view of supply chains: anchovies from Santona in Cantabria are caught with purse‑seine nets ~6 miles offshore, auctioned with a numeric quality grade, then headed/tail‑clipped and rock‑salt cured for 12–36 months (Fishwife uses 12–18 months). Anchovies are salt‑cured, not heat‑treated, which yields a short ~1‑year shelf life compared with 5–7 years for most other canned fish. She contrasts family‑run European canneries with the post‑industrial decline of U.S. canneries and the shift of processing capacity to Asia. On the Moroccan situation Becca clarifies that the ban targets frozen exports (allowing domestic canning), that Spain historically relied on ~90% of Moroccan raw material, and that Moroccan catches fell ~46% in 2023. She argues the most plausible drivers are climate‑related (warmer waters, plankton shifts, and migration of forage fish), not simple overfishing—citing MSC and Seafood Watch assessments that show the fisheries are being managed rather than collapsing. Operationally, the market shock produced a big demand spike—sardine sales velocities rose 2–3x starting in December 'last year' and later 4–5x—forcing Fishwife to occasionally air‑freight product to meet retailer needs and compressing margins. Throughout the conversation Tracy, Joe and Becca agree that canned fish supply chains are long, nuanced and brittle to sudden shifts, and Becca stresses that responsible fishery management (temporary closures, certification) can and has allowed stocks to recover when applied properly.