Skip to content
LiveCriée
FR

Species

Ling:professional buying guide, season, size grades, ling or blue ling

Ling for the trade: "julienne" in French, season from March to September, Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Lorient, blue ling, EU size grades, uses and substitutes.

Updated 5 min readLiveCriée editorial team

Contents
  1. Buying sheet
  2. When to buy ling?
  3. Ling or blue ling: how to tell them apart?
  4. How to judge the freshness of a ling?
  5. What to replace ling with?
  6. What makes the price of ling move?
  7. Frequently asked questions

Ling (Molva molva), often sold in France under the name "julienne", is a large, elongated round fish of the burbot and cod family, caught offshore on the hard grounds of the North-East Atlantic, by longline, net and trawl; its white, firm flesh with few bones makes it an affordable alternative to cod for loins and portions. It should not be confused with blue ling (Molva dypterygia), also called "élingue", a deeper-water species sold almost entirely at Lorient.

Buying sheet

Ling (julienne)
Scientific nameMolva molva
Peak seasonMarch to September, peak in July. Very low in January
Closed seasonNo closure; fishing under quotas
Minimum size63 cm (blue ling: 70 cm)
EU size grades (ling)1: 5 kg and over; 2: 3 to 5 kg; 3: 1.2 to 3 kg
Examples of size grades on price listsWhole 2/4 kg, 4 kg+; loin, fillet (common practice, not a standard)
Main French fish auctions (2024, French vessels)1,044 t sold at auction. Saint-Jean-de-Luz 52%, Lorient 27%, Boulogne-sur-Mer 9%, Le Guilvinec 2%
Foreign vessels1,235 t of ling sold at French fish auctions in 2024, the leading species of foreign vessels
OriginsFAO area 27 (North-East Atlantic)
Fishing methodsLongline, gillnet, bottom trawl
YieldNo published figure found; measure it on your own deliveries (loins, portions)
StorageWhole and gutted or as fillets, on ice (0 to 2 °C)

Size grades: Regulation (EC) No 2406/96, Annex II (Molva spp.). Minimum size: Regulation (EU) 2019/1241. Shares calculated by the editorial team from the sales declared at French fish auctions in 2024 (FranceAgriMer). National rhythm of auction sales (FranceAgriMer, 2024); it varies from one port to another.

When to buy ling?

From spring to the end of summer. In 2024, French vessels sold 77 to 130 tonnes of ling a month at auction from March to September, against less than 30 tonnes in January. The average price, at its highest in January when landings are at their lowest, then varies with no clear trend, with a dip in spring and a rise at the end of the year.

A point few buyers know: foreign vessels sell more ling at French fish auctions than French vessels do (1,235 tonnes against 1,044 in 2024). The real supply on price lists is therefore wider than the French fleet alone.

  • 1,044 tsold at auction by French vessels in 2024
  • 1,235 tsold by foreign vessels
  • 52%of French sales at Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Source: FranceAgriMer, 2024.

Ling or blue ling: how to tell them apart?

Ling (julienne)Blue ling (élingue)
Scientific nameMolva molvaMolva dypterygia
Appearanceyellowish brown, more or less marbled, first dorsal fin edged with black, clearly visible chin barbelsteel blue to grey-brown on the back, more elongated body, larger eye, very reduced barbel
WhereSaint-Jean-de-Luz, LorientLorient (95% of auction sales)
Minimum size63 cm70 cm

Criteria: Ifremer (P. Moguedet's thesis, 1988; 2001 report).

Both are prepared the same way. On a price list, "lingue" without further detail can mean either one: the scientific name decides.

How to judge the freshness of a ling?

Clear, bulging eye; red gills; shiny skin covered with clear slime; firm body despite its length; white, pearly flesh that does not mark under the finger. As a fillet or loin, the flesh must be shiny, with no liquid and no gaping between the flakes.

What to replace ling with?

UseSubstituteNote
Loin, roasted portionCod, saithecod more expensive, saithe greyer
Brandade, fish pie (parmentier)Saithe, hakecomparable prices
Thick cut, fish of the dayBlue ling, haddocksame use

What makes the price of ling move?

Average first-sale price at auction, France, 2024Ling (julienne)Blue ling (élingue)
Yearly averageabout €3.30/kgabout €2.50/kg
Cheapest monthMay: about €2.60/kgMay: about €1.60/kg
Most expensive monthJanuary: about €4.60/kgJanuary: about €5.60/kg
Spread between auctionsfrom €2.60/kg (Boulogne-sur-Mer) to €3.30/kg (Saint-Jean-de-Luz)from €2.50/kg (Lorient) to €3.20/kg (Saint-Jean-de-Luz)

Year 2024, sales by French vessels at all French fish auctions: average first-sale price at the auction hall (FranceAgriMer, sales declared at fish auctions, workbook published on 2 July 2026). Spread between auctions: among those handling at least 5% of the volumes of each species. The auction price is not the price paid to the fish merchant: processing, transport and margin are added to it.

Both lings are most expensive in January, the month with the smallest landings: 26 t of ling at about €4.60/kg, 11 t of blue ling at about €5.60/kg. They are cheapest in May, in the heart of the season: 77 t of ling at about €2.60/kg, 282 t of blue ling at about €1.60/kg. From March to September, ling stayed between about €2.60 and €3.50/kg; 2025 confirms a January at the top for both species. The spread of about €0.70/kg between auctions may come from the sizes landed and the quality of the lots, which the average does not distinguish.

  • The season: price at its highest in January, when landings are at their lowest.
  • Foreign landings: they weigh as much as the French fleet in auction supply.
  • The quotas for ling, set every year at European level.
  • Size and presentation: large fish and loins sell for more than small whole ling.
  • The price of cod: when it rises, demand shifts to ling.

Frequently asked questions

Are julienne and ling the same fish?

Yes: "julienne" is a common trade name for ling (Molva molva). Blue ling, or "élingue", is another species, which lives deeper. When in doubt, the scientific name decides.

When is ling in season?

From March to September, with a peak in July in 2024. Landings are very low in January, the month when the price is highest.

How can ling replace cod?

For loins, portions, brandade or a roasted fish: its white, firm flesh holds well when cooked. It generally costs less than cod.

Where is ling landed in France?

Mainly at Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Lorient, which account for nearly 80% of the auction sales of French vessels. Foreign vessels also sell a lot of it at French fish auctions, even more than French vessels in 2024.

What is the price of ling?

In 2024, ling sold at about €3.30/kg on average at first sale by French vessels at French fish auctions, from about €2.60/kg in May to about €4.60/kg in January; blue ling, about €2.50/kg (FranceAgriMer). The price paid to the fish merchant adds processing, transport and margin; loins and fillets should be compared per kilo of usable flesh.

Sources

Read next