The species European anchovy , the popular anchoa, boquerón o bocarte as known in the north, is a fish of about 15cm similar in form to sardines, which is characterized by a peculiar silver band on its flanks and is mainly consumed salted.

They are caught at night when they appear in large shoals to feed on plankton, and is one of the traditional sources of income for fishing communities on the Atlantic Spanish coast, allowing the development of an important salting industry.

The Anchovy fillets we pack come from the catch made in the waters of the Cantabrian Sea (Bay of Biscay), captures that are subjected to strict controls by the authorities, thus awoiding population problems in this species and allowing the industry to be regularly supplied.

Anchovies consumption originating in this fishing zone is also recommended by various advocacy organizations such as Greenpeace, because of the environmental sustainability of the resource and the artisanal nature of its capture.

The use of this species salted has been known in the Mediterranean since Phoenician times. It became popular In Spain in the nineteenth century marketed as semi-preserved, so it should be stored in cool place and consumed within a year.

*: http://www.msc.org/sala-de-prensa/noticias/la-pesqueria-de-anchoa-del-cantabrico-recibe-el-reconocimiento-de-la-certificacion-de-pesca-sostenible-msc ).