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French seafood in season in March:what arrives at auction, what becomes scarce

March at French fish auctions: Dover sole, hake, brill, king scallop, spider crab, whelk. Channel sea bass closed, Lent and Easter. Substitutes and prices.

Updated 4 min readLiveCriée editorial team

March: Dover sole, Hake, Brill, King scallop, Whiting, black sea bream, SaitheJFMAMJJASONDIN SEASONMarchDover soleHakeBrillKing scallopWhiting, black sea breamSaithe
Contents
  1. What arrives at auction in March?
  2. What becomes scarce?
  3. Which substitutes for the menu?
  4. Points to watch on prices
  5. Frequently asked questions

In March, late-winter seafood is in full swing: Dover sole has its biggest landings of the year, hake, brill, whiting, black sea bream, saithe, spider crab and whelk are in peak season, and king scallops remain plentiful; Channel sea bass is still closed, and Easter falls at the end of the month or in early April. It is also the month when langoustine returns to the fish auctions.

Status as of 13 October 2026, based on the monthly sales of all French fish auctions in 2023 and 2024 (FranceAgriMer). The full calendar covers 40 species over twelve months.

What arrives at auction in March?

SpeciesWhat auction sales showWhat to know when buying
Dover solePeak season, biggest month of 2024: about 560 tonnes, more than double JanuaryIn its spawning period, from January to April according to Ifremer: check the condition of the fish; average price around €16.50/kg
HakeStart of the peak from March to May: about 1,200 tonnes in March 2024Average price at its lowest of the year, around €3/kg
BrillPeak season from March to MayAround €15/kg at auction, against €26 for turbot in the same month
King scallopAbout 3,750 tonnes in March 2024, one of the biggest monthsAverage price around €2.10/kg
Whiting, black sea breamEnd of their winter peakPrices still low
SaitheStart of the peak season, from March to July
Spider crabStart of the peak season, from March to JuneUnder €2/kg at auction
WhelkSpring peak season (about 470 tonnes in March 2024)
LangoustineReturn: about 135 tonnes in March 2024, against 55 in JanuaryAverage price around €12.50/kg, falling until June
European lobsterFirst landingsStill expensive, around €38/kg

National rhythm of auction sales (FranceAgriMer, 2024); it varies from one port to another.

What becomes scarce?

  • Channel sea bass: in 2026, commercial sea bass fishing remained closed in the English Channel, North Sea and Celtic Sea until 31 March. National sales remain steady (about 230 tonnes in March 2024, around €12.50/kg): supply comes from the areas that stayed open, including the Atlantic, and from farming.
  • Brown crab is still scarce at auction.
  • Atlantic bluefin tuna only comes in small landings.
  • Common prawn (crevette bouquet) ends its season: about ten tonnes in March 2024, and its price rises.
  • Herring ends its winter season, and bouchot mussels are out of season.
  • Provence sea urchin: from 2023 to 2026, its fishing closed on 1 March in the Bouches-du-Rhône and the Var, by prefectoral order, and professionals in the Alpes-Maritimes could fish until 15 April. Check the dates of the current season.
  • European spiny lobster (langouste rouge), albacore and meagre are absent or almost absent.

Which substitutes for the menu?

A few ideas, to adapt to your menu and the day's catch.

  • If you had on the menuLine-caught Channel sea bassIn March, think ofLine-caught hake, pollackWhy : Hake at its lowest of the year
  • If you had on the menuTurbotIn March, think ofBrillWhy : Brill in peak season, at roughly half the price
  • If you had on the menuDover sole filletsIn March, think ofBrill, megrimWhy : Sole in its spawning period, condition of the fish to watch
  • If you had on the menuBouchot musselsIn March, think ofWhelk, warty venus clam (praire)Why : Mussels out of season, whelk at its peak
  • If you had on the menuCommon prawnIn March, think ofWhelk, spider crabWhy : End of the prawn season

Points to watch on prices

  1. Easter. Easter Sunday falls on 28 March in 2027 (5 April in 2026), Good Friday two days before. Confirm volumes with your suppliers from mid-March, ask them about the days without an auction around Easter Monday, and bring your orders forward accordingly.
  2. Hake is the buy of the month. With the end of the Bay of Biscay closure, its landings rise again and its average auction price goes from about €5/kg in February to €3 in March (2024).
  3. Langoustine: wait before fixing. Its price falls month after month until May and June, to around €10/kg. A dish costed in March on the day's price will have margin in spring.
  4. Turbot stays expensive, around €26/kg at auction in March 2024: brill is the stopgap until its May peak.

The food cost guide shows how to pass these differences on to the recipe costing sheet, and the size grade guide how to choose the size of sole or brill according to the portion.

Frequently asked questions

Which fish is in season in March?

Dover sole, hake, brill, whiting, black sea bream, saithe and monkfish for fish; king scallop and whelk for shellfish; spider crab and, back again, langoustine for crustaceans.

Should Dover sole be bought in March?

It has never been as plentiful at auction as in March 2024, in the middle of its spawning period (from January to April according to Ifremer). Check the size and condition of the fish on delivery, and compare with brill.

Is sea bass fished in March?

Not in the English Channel, the North Sea or the Celtic Sea, where commercial fishing was closed in February and March in 2026. Sea bass from other areas, including the Atlantic, and farmed sea bass remain available; fishing reopens in the north on 1 April.

Which fish to offer for Easter?

Species in peak season: hake, brill, king scallop, and langoustine as it returns. Turbot and lobster stay expensive at this time.

Sources

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