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Seafood markets in Murcia are already feeling the rush of the upcoming Christmas season, bringing with it price hikes and worries that the iconic red prawns may not be plentiful enough to meet demand.

 

Emilio Román de Haro, who runs the Juana Mari fish shop in Águilas, reports that customers have been snapping up seafood early this year. “They have been buying for two weeks now,” he says, explaining the rush is fuelled by fears of a red shrimp shortage.

 

Only two fishing boats remain active this week; the last before a scheduled fleet shutdown. “Whoever catches some this week, yes; but next week they’ll be out of commission,” Román cautions, highlighting the chance that local red shrimp might need to be supplemented by imports from other ports.

 

 

Prices are already reflecting this supply uncertainty. Large red prawns went for €92 per kilo at the latest auction and could nearly double by Christmas. “We’ve even paid €180 or €200 for them,” Román shares.

 

Other festive favourites, like monkfish and large whiting, are also experiencing rises: monkfish from around €12-15 now to €22-25 in December, and whiting nearly doubling from €8-9 to almost €20 on busy days. “What seems expensive today will be cheap tomorrow,” observes the fishmonger.

 

Langoustine, another Christmas star alongside white shrimp, is facing its own price pressures and patchy supplies. Fishmongers note deliveries have been inconsistent, as much of this seafood comes from fishing grounds near Huelva. Medium-sized langoustines recently sold for around €57 per kilo, with larger ones reaching €64. Prices expected to climb significantly by the holidays.

 

On the other hand, the fishing community is trying to ease these concerns. Bartolomé Navarro, president of the Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds, states confidently that Murcia’s trawler fleet “has done its homework.” He says they expect to enter the holiday period with enough fishing days and red shrimp quotas. Navarro attributes fears of shortage to issues elsewhere, noting, “In Barcelona, many boats are tied up because they have used up the days allocated by the General Secretariat of Fisheries.” Despite this, he remains hopeful more fishing days will be added before December 1.

 

With the festive season looming, Murcia’s seafood market is a mix of eager early buyers, tight supplies, and cautious optimism from fishermen.

 

 

 

Image: Photo by Terje Sollie