A Century-Old Trade: The Gothenburg Fish Auction

The Gothenburg Fish Auction isn't just a marketplace; it's a testament to the rich culinary and cultural heritage of Gothenburg, Sweden. Situated in the heart of Fiskhamnen, this auction has been the backbone of the seafood trade for over 100 years.

Historic Meets Contemporary:

While maintaining its deep-rooted traditions, the auction has seamlessly integrated modern technologies. The essence of early morning auctions remains, but now with the added advantage of digital platforms, offering real-time information on daily catches and bids.

A Melting Pot of Seafood Trade:

The auction doesn't solely cater to the Swedish fish trade. It's a melting pot where the best from Scandinavian waters converge. Fishermen from Norway, Denmark, and various other regions bring their prized catches, ensuring a diverse and abundant offering.

Sustainability at Its Core:

At its heart, the auction champions responsible fishing. By emphasizing quotas and marine ecosystem protection, it ensures the seafood industry's longevity and health.

For those seeking the freshest seafood, the Gothenburg Fish Auction, with its blend of history and modernity, remains unmatched. Join us at Swedishness as we delve deeper into this iconic institution, bringing the best of Scandinavian seafood to you.

How an Auction Works

Activities are basically going on around the clock at Gothenburg's Fish Auction. In the evening and at night, all fish and shellfish from fishing are delivered.

Several fishing boats a week land their products directly at the quay in the Fish Harbor. A lot also comes with trucks that have picked up fish at collection points such as Strömstad, Grebbestad, Kungshamn, Lysekil, Öckerö, Bua, and Träslövsläge. It's not only fish from Sweden that is sold at the auction. Norwegian and Danish caught fish come by truck.

Once the products are delivered, the night staff arrange the fish boxes in a certain order in the different halls, so that the products can then be auctioned off according to a rolling schedule.

Early Morning

Every day, Monday through Friday, the auction takes place. At 6:30 a.m., the auctioneers ring a bell and the fish auction is underway. By then, fish merchants and wholesalers have already been on-site for a while, looking at what the day's catches have to offer. They also have the opportunity to go to the website and see what the fishing boats have pre-announced. This mainly applies to shrimp, but also when there are unusually large catches of a specific species, or something else that stands out from the usual.

For each box sold, a note is placed in the box with the buyer's name. Then, the buyer receives a delivery note with full traceability of the content in each purchased box.

When there is plenty of fish and shellfish, the auction lasts until about 8:30, sometimes longer. But wholesalers and traders are in a hurry to get to their customers and stores, so everyone is keen to keep the pace high.

Basically, it's only whole fish that is auctioned off. Now and then, a batch with fillets comes in. On the shellfish side, a significant part of the auction is cooked shrimp and raw sea crayfish, and during the season, also lobster. In addition to the

Swedish-caught fish, it is primarily Denmark, Norway, and the Faroe Islands that deliver fish and shellfish to the auction.

We at Swedishness are committed in bringing you the highest premium seafood to incredible prices!