The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has announced the start of the Iberian sardine fishing season on March 20, 2023, the earliest start in recent years and with the highest quota in years, at 18,962 tons. The total catch for both Spain and Portugal is 56,604 tonnes, as recommended by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. The quota is distributed among the various fleets, and catch and landing limits are set to optimize the resource. This comes as good news after years of recovery efforts for the endangered Iberian sardine.