French fishing ports
Saint-Jean-de-Luz fish auction:Ciboure, hake, tuna and how to get fish delivered
Saint-Jean-de-Luz Ciboure fish auction: 2024 figures, hake, albacore, bluefin tuna, ling, seasonal calendar and delivery from the French Basque Country.
Updated 8 min readLiveCriée editorial team
Contents
The Saint-Jean-de-Luz fish auction (criée), on the Ciboure bank (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), is the leading fish auction in France for hake: 2,853 tonnes sold in 2024, nearly a third of the hake sold at auction in the country. With 5,755 tonnes and €26.5 million of sales, it is the seventh French fish auction hall by value (FranceAgriMer). It is also the leading fish auction for Atlantic bluefin tuna, ling and, by value, albacore.
The Saint-Jean-de-Luz fish auction in figures
- 5,755 tsold at auction in 2024
- €26.5Min sales
- 2,853 tof hake, No. 1 fish auction in France for this species
- No. 7fish auction in France by value
Source: FranceAgriMer, 2024.
| 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Quantities sold | 6,772 t | 5,755 t |
| Value of sales | €26.2M | €26.5M |
| Average price | €3.87/kg | €4.61/kg |
| National rank by value | 7th | 7th |
| National rank by volume | 8th | 9th |
| Hake's share of value | 43% | 49% |
Source: FranceAgriMer, sales declared at fish auctions in 2024; ranks calculated by the editorial team.
In 2024, the fish auction sold 15% less fish than in 2023, but for a slightly higher value: the average price rose by 19%. Over ten years, the fall in volumes is clear (10,184 tonnes in 2015), as at most Atlantic fish auctions.
What sets Saint-Jean-de-Luz apart is the way of fishing. In 2024, gillnetters brought in 48% of the volumes and 52% of the value, hook trades (lines and longlines) 24% of the volumes and 22% of the value, and trawlers only 17% of the volumes (editorial team's calculation from FranceAgriMer data). For a fish auction of this size, the share of trawling is small: it is a net and line fish auction.
Which species can you find in Saint-Jean-de-Luz?
| Species | Tonnes sold in 2024 | Value | Average price | Share of the French auction total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hake | 2,853 t | €13.1M | €4.60/kg | 32%, 1st auction |
| Albacore (germon, thon blanc) | 693 t | €2.4M | €3.42/kg | 42%, 1st by value, 2nd by volume after Le Guilvinec |
| Ling (lingue franche, julienne) | 548 t | €1.8M | €3.28/kg | 52%, 1st auction |
| Atlantic bluefin tuna | 188 t | €1.8M | €9.48/kg | 29%, 1st auction |
| Dover sole | 78 t | €1.4M | €18.31/kg | 3% |
| Monkfish (baudroie, lotte) | 66 t | €0.6M | €8.65/kg | less than 1% |
| Sea bass | 29 t | €0.4M | €13.04/kg | 1% |
| Blue ling (lingue bleue, élingue) | 91 t | €0.3M | €3.16/kg | 5%, 2nd after Lorient |
| Haddock | 99 t | €0.3M | €2.81/kg | 7% |
| Pollack | 37 t | €0.3M | €7.35/kg | 4% |
| Saithe | 110 t | €0.2M | €2.03/kg | 3%, 3rd auction |
| Sardine | 190 t | €0.2M | €1.23/kg | 2% |
Source: FranceAgriMer, 2024 data; shares and ranks calculated by the editorial team on the total of French fish auctions.
Hake, albacore, ling and Atlantic bluefin tuna together make up 72% of the value sold. Saint-Jean-de-Luz sells half of the ling of the French fish auctions and nearly a third of their Atlantic bluefin tuna.
Why is hake more expensive there? In 2024, it sold on average for €4.60/kg in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, against €3.84/kg in Lorient and €4.40/kg across all fish auctions. FranceAgriMer's statistics do not give the reason. They only show that Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a net and line fish auction more than a trawl one. On a price list, the fishing gear ("lignes et hameçons", hooks and lines; "filets maillants", gillnets; or "chaluts", trawls) tells you what you are paying for. Our hake profile details size grades and product differences.
When to buy what? The calendar of the leading species
The calendar marks the months of high landings, read from the monthly sales of all French fish auctions in 2024. For hake, albacore, Atlantic bluefin tuna and ling, Saint-Jean-de-Luz weighs heavily enough for the national curve to partly reflect its own.
| Species | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hake | available | available | peak landings | peak landings | peak landings | available | available | available | low landings | available | available | available |
| Albacore | closed season or figure not published | closed season or figure not published | closed season or figure not published | closed season or figure not published | closed season or figure not published | low landings | peak landings | peak landings | peak landings | peak landings | closed season or figure not published | closed season or figure not published |
| Atlantic bluefin tuna | closed season or figure not published | closed season or figure not published | low landings | low landings | low landings | available | peak landings | peak landings | peak landings | peak landings | low landings | low landings |
| Ling | low landings | available | available | available | available | peak landings | peak landings | available | available | available | available | available |
| Blue ling | low landings | low landings | available | peak landings | peak landings | peak landings | peak landings | peak landings | available | low landings | low landings | low landings |
| Dover sole | available | available | peak landings | available | available | available | available | available | available | available | available | available |
●● high landings; ● present; ○ low or almost nil; empty cell: fishery closed or figure not published. National rhythm of auction sales (FranceAgriMer, 2024); it varies from one port to another.
Two seasons shape the year. In spring, hake: in 2024, the national average price fell to a little above €3/kg in March, at the height of landings, against €5/kg in February, during the winter closure of the Bay of Biscay for part of the vessels of 8 metres and over (from 22 January to 20 February from 2024 to 2026), and €6/kg in September. In summer, tuna: albacore arrives in July and peaks in August, at around €3/kg, while the first lots in June exceeded €5/kg. For Atlantic bluefin tuna, caught under quota, the national average price fell to around €8 to €9/kg in September and October 2024.
How does the sale work?
- A fish auction in Ciboure. The fish auction hall is on the Ciboure side, on the fishing port that the two towns share at the head of the bay.
- Bidding reserved for declared buyers with the auction hall operator (Article D932-9 of the French rural code). The sale time is not published: check with the fish auction or your fish merchant.
- Sales outside the auction. Part of the port's volumes is sold by private agreement, notably for offshore fishing companies specialising in hake (DIRM Sud-Atlantique).
Saint-Jean-de-Luz is one of the five fish auction halls on the South Atlantic coast, with La Rochelle, La Cotinière (Oléron), Royan and Arcachon, and the only one in the French Basque Country.
The fish merchants of the Basque Country
Around the port, in Ciboure and Saint-Jean-de-Luz, fish merchanting (mareyage) companies buy in the hall, sort, prepare and ship. The Spanish border is about fifteen kilometres away.
Most fish merchants send a price list to their customers, with the day's species, size grades and prices. The price list guide explains how to read it, and the size grades guide gives the European scale for hake.
We do not publish a list of fish merchants. Company profiles will come with their agreement.
How to get fish delivered from Saint-Jean-de-Luz?
- Go through a fish merchant (mareyeur) of the port
This is the normal route for a restaurant, a fishmonger or a wholesaler: they buy in the hall for you, prepare and ship.
- Order early, according to their price list
For fine hake or tuna, specify the size grade and the fishing gear you want: the offer changes from one day to the next.
- Allow for the distance
By road, Saint-Jean-de-Luz is about 205 km from Bordeaux, 800 km from Paris and 700 km from Marseille. In Bordeaux as in Paris, directly or via Rungis, the fish is generally delivered the next day, depending on the fish merchant and the carrier.
- Check the minimum order and free delivery threshold
Shipments are made by parcel; free delivery may apply above a certain weight.
- Demand traceability
Commercial name, scientific name, catch area and fishing gear must accompany each lot. Atlantic bluefin tuna must also be accompanied by its electronic catch document (eBCD) required by ICCAT: without it, it can be neither sold nor processed in the Union (Regulation (EU) 2023/2053, Article 62). See the traceability and labelling guide.
For an importer, the pattern is the same up to departure: the fish merchant prepares, and the freight forwarder takes over, with Spain on the doorstep. For export, see our English section and the directory of French seafood suppliers.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Saint-Jean-de-Luz fish auction rank in France?
Seventh French fish auction hall by value in 2024, with €26.5 million of sales, and ninth by volume with 5,755 tonnes. It is the leading fish auction in France for hake, Atlantic bluefin tuna and ling.
Is the Saint-Jean-de-Luz fish auction in Ciboure?
Yes. The fishing port is shared between Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Ciboure, and the fish auction hall is on the Ciboure bank. Statistics refer to it under the name Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
When is the hake season in Saint-Jean-de-Luz?
Hake is sold all year round, with the highest landings from March to May nationally. It is also the period when its average price is lowest. In January and February, the one-month closure of the Bay of Biscay, which keeps gillnetters and other vessels of 8 metres and over in port, reduces supply.
When can you find tuna at the Saint-Jean-de-Luz fish auction?
Albacore (germon, thon blanc) arrives in July and is sold until October, with a peak in August. Atlantic bluefin tuna is sold mainly from July to September, under quota.
Can a restaurant buy directly at the Saint-Jean-de-Luz fish auction?
In principle, yes: any professional registered in the trade and companies register or the register of food trades can declare themselves as a buyer to the auction hall operator, with their VAT number and a guarantee covering their purchases (Article D932-9 of the French rural code). In practice, a restaurant most often goes through a fish merchant of the port, who buys for it and ships; it is generally delivered the next day, depending on the fish merchant and the carrier.
How to find out the day's price in Saint-Jean-de-Luz?
For a purchase price, the simplest is the price list of a Saint-Jean-de-Luz fish merchant, which includes preparation and packing. For a trend, FranceAgriMer publishes average prices by auction and by species every year.
Sources
- FranceAgriMer, Données de ventes déclarées en halles à marée en 2024 (sales declared at fish auctions in 2024), edition of 6 June 2025 (ranking of auction halls, Saint-Jean-de-Luz sales by species, detail by species and by auction hall, national monthly sales, sales by fleet segment, trend from 2015 to 2024): https://www.franceagrimer.fr/sites/default/files/2025-06/BIL-MER-VENTES_HAM-A24.pdf
- DIRM Sud-Atlantique, "La filière pêche et la production" (the fishing sector and production) (fish auction halls of the coast, private-agreement sales by offshore fishing companies specialising in hake): https://www.dirm.sud-atlantique.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/2_3_la_filiere_peche_et_la_production.pdf
- French Ministry of the Sea, "Protection des petits cétacés" (winter closure in the Bay of Biscay): https://www.mer.gouv.fr/protection-des-petits-cetaces
- French rural and maritime fishing code, Article D932-9 (declaration of buyers to the auction hall operator), read on 22 October 2026: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/article_lc/LEGIARTI000029978433
- Regulation (EU) 2023/2053 of 13 September 2023 establishing a multiannual management plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Article 62 (no trade, landing or processing without ICCAT catch documents), read on 23 October 2026: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32023R2053
- OpenStreetMap (Nominatim), "Criée de Saint Jean de Luz-Ciboure" building, place des Récollets, Ciboure (coordinates in the header), read on 23 October 2026: https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/
Suppliers in Saint-Jean-de-Luz: the directory
Companies with a site in the port, from the register, sanitary approvals and their own websites.
- Fish merchant · Saint-Jean-de-LuzDimaBasque Country fish merchant, main buyer at the Saint-Jean-de-Luz / Ciboure criée (fish auction), also buying in Spain and at Royan and La Cotinière.See the profile
- Wholesaler · EstillacMericqSeafood supplier for more than 60 years, serving restaurants, caterers, fishmongers, key accounts and wholesalers.See the profile
- Wholesaler · Saint-Jean-de-LuzSedisalChilled seafood distributor founded in 1999 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, specialising in cooked cephalopods and salted, dried and desalted cod.See the profile
- Fish merchant or wholesaler · ArcachonCooperative des Artisans Pecheurs d'AquitaineSee the profile
- Fish merchant or wholesaler · CiboureEuroservipecheSee the profile
- Fish merchant or wholesaler · CiboureMizolaSee the profile
Criée de Saint-Jean-de-Luz: sales and species →All suppliers in Ciboure →
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