Pilchard

Pilchard is the commercial name for the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) at a mature stage of growth, used interchangeably with sardine in many markets. In the UK, Cornish pilchards were historically salted and exported to Catholic southern Europe in vast quantities from the 16th century onward. The fishery collapsed by the 1970s and was revived in the 1990s, with the fish rebranded as Cornish sardines and granted MSC certification in 2010. Pilchards are also canned in tomato sauce across South Africa, where Lucky Star and Glenryck produce millions of tins annually from southern Atlantic pilchards for domestic and sub-Saharan African markets. The South African pilchard tradition is entirely distinct from the European artisan conservas market.