According to the Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Services (DGRM), "keeping on board, landing, exhibiting for sale or selling sardines captured with siege gear, except, on an ancillary basis, up to 10% of the total landed on each tide, between 24:00 on December 20 and 24:00 on March 31, 2024".

According to the DGRM, although the limit defined for sardines this year has not yet been reached (maximum catch and discharge limits of 37,642 tons), the Sardine Monitoring Committee decided that it is "appropriate to protect the resource during the main fishing reproduction season", which is why it decided to close fishing from Thursday, but foreseeing "the possibility of authorizing by-catches of sardines of 10% of the total until March 31, 2024".

Sardine fishing is managed by Portugal and Spain, according to a multi-annual plan. The two countries set a catch limit for the current year of 56,604 tonnes, 37,642 (66.5%) of which are attributed to Portugal.