High early-week landing volumes gave way to storm preparations off the coast of Cornwall, capping off a £805k market week.
Auction Overview
Market landings across Cornish auctions started the week on a high note on Monday with heavy tonnage across key species, followed by a steady contraction in both landed weight and revenue through Thursday. Over the four reported days, local markets processed 155.0 tonnes of catch across 5,028 boxes, generating a total realized value of £805,554 at an average price of ~£5.20/kg.
Daily Landings Breakdown
Monday, Oct 19, 2026: Peak Volume & Highest Daily Revenue
- Total Volume & Revenue: 1,990 boxes totaling 58,120.8 kg with an overall landed value of £311,205.
- Key Volume Drivers:
- Pot Caught Mediterranean Octopus: Dominant landing species at 33,150.8 kg across 833 boxes, generating £149,705 (Avg £4.52/kg).
- Megrim: Heavy mixed-grade volume, led by Grade 5 (0.2–0.35kg) at 1,463.94 kg (£5,065.23) and Grade 4 (0.35–0.5kg) at 1,021.42 kg (£4,369.62).
- Pollack / Lythe: Grade 3 (2–3kg) landed 1,915.36 kg, yielding £10,720.80 (£5.60/kg).
- Lesser Spotted Dogfish: High bulk volume at 1,155 kg, fetching £0.40/kg (£462 total).
- Top Price Performers:
- Turbot: Grade 3 (3–4kg) achieved the highest price point at £29.09/kg.
- Dover Sole: Premium large sizes commanded top prices, led by Grade 1 (801g+) at £28.43/kg (£5,173.54 total) and Grade 3 (501–600g) at £27.30/kg (£5,612.04 total).
- Blush Turbot: Grade 2 (4–6kg) reached £28.06/kg.
Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026: Strong Hake & Consistent Flatfish Demand
- Total Volume & Revenue: 1,178 boxes totaling 32,971.9 kg with a landed value of £190,936.
- Key Volume Drivers:
- Pot Caught Mediterranean Octopus: Remained the leading species by weight at 15,108.9 kg (384 boxes), generating £66,438 (£4.40/kg).
- MSC Hake: Substantial landings across sizes, notably Grade 5 (2–3kg) at 2,893 kg (£20,910.90) and Grade 4 (3–4kg) at 1,988 kg (£15,760.70).
- Cuttlefish: Grade 1 (0.5kg+) landed 1,168.34 kg (25 boxes) for £3,546.02 (£3.04/kg).
- Top Price Performers:
- Dover Sole: Grade 1 (801g+) topped the daily average at £30.33/kg, with Grade 3 (501–600g) close behind at £29.04/kg.
- Turbot: Grade 3 (3–4kg) averaged £29.03/kg and Grade 4 (2–3kg) averaged £26.14/kg.
- Bass: Select Grade 2–3kg+ Extra Large (EL) WHOLE reached £22.99/kg.
Wednesday, Oct 21, 2026: Solid Mid-Week Tonnage
- Total Volume & Revenue: 1,179 boxes totaling 37,631.5 kg with a landed value of £195,830.
- Key Volume Drivers:
- Pot Caught Mediterranean Octopus: Accounted for 19,080.9 kg across 479 boxes, contributing £79,501.90 (£4.17/kg).
- MSC Hake: Strong fleet landings totaling over 10.5 tonnes across grades, including Grade 4 (3,028.1 kg, £23,477.60) and Grade 5 (2,740 kg, £19,800.60).
- Pollack / Lythe: Heavy landings with Grade 2 (3–4kg) at 2,151.74 kg (£11,635.80) and Grade 3 (2–3kg) at 1,880.37 kg (£9,877.11).
- Top Price Performers:
- Dover Sole: Grade 3 (501–600g) led at £27.99/kg, Grade 1 (801g+) at £26.07/kg, and Grade 4 (401–500g) at £25.81/kg.
- Red Mullet: Grade 2 (0.5–1.0kg) fetched £25.78/kg.
- Couch Bream: Grade 1 (1kg+) reached £24.99/kg.
Thursday, Oct 22, 2026: Lower Tonnage & Price Spikes
- Total Volume & Revenue: 681 boxes totaling 26,281.6 kg with a landed value of £107,583.
- Key Volume Drivers:
- Mediterranean Octopus: Combined landings of Pot Caught (12,928 kg, £54,426.90) and B Grade (6,375 kg, £213.75) totaled 19,303 kg.
- Megrim: Moderate volume led by Grade 5 (528.1 kg) and Grade 6 (500.7 kg).
- Lemon Sole: Grade 4 (0.2–0.35kg) landed 334.2 kg (£2,166.76).
- Top Price Performers:
- Turbot: Grade 2 (4–6kg) hit the highest individual price point of the week at £37.70/kg (£196.04).
- Dover Sole: Sustained high valuations with Grade 3 (501–600g) at £28.03/kg and Grade 2 (601–800g) at £27.50/kg.
- Brill: Grade 1 (2kg+) brought £24.58/kg.
Weekly Commodity Analysis
- Pot Caught Mediterranean Octopus: Stood out as the primary economic driver of the week, generating £350,071.80 across 80,268.6 kg (representing ~51.8% of total landed tonnage and ~43.5% of overall market value).
- Whitefish Core (MSC Hake & Pollack): Provided the majority of roundfish volume, maintaining solid pricing across mid-range sizes throughout the multi-day period.
- Premium Flatfish (Dover Sole & Turbot): Represented a consistent high-value tier; Dover Sole consistently averaged £24.00–£30.33/kg across primary grades, while Turbot achieved the weekly peak price of £37.70/kg on Thursday.
Wind chart as of 1400 Thursday
The largest UK beam trawler, Enterprise heads for the gaps ahead of storm Austen
Outlook: Storm Austen & Fishing off Cornwall
Key Takeaway for Buyers & Fleet: The progressive drop in landed box counts—from Monday’s peak of 1,990 boxes down to Thursday’s low of 681 boxes—reflects vessels reducing sea time ahead of the incoming storm system.
- Fleet Operations: With severe weather arriving today, day-boats, potters, and smaller netters operating off the Cornish coast are largely returning to port or staying tied up to ride out the gale.
- Auction & Price Effects: Expect fresh fish availability at coastal auctions to tighten noticeably over Friday and into the weekend. Short-term scarcity in prime wild species (such as Dover Sole, Turbot, Line Bass, and Squid) will likely keep wholesale prices firm for any catches brought in by larger offshore beamers.
- Post-Storm Recovery: Landings are anticipated to remain subdued until sea conditions settle early next week, allowing vessels to safely return to coastal fishing grounds.
Forecast winds from late Friday pm through to Saturday pm
