Australian Sardines vs Imported — Country of Origin

Side-by-side

Australia

Australian Sardines

Port Lincoln, SA

🇦🇺 Local

Omega-3 (per 100g)2,200mg

Sustainability ratingMSC-aligned

Days to plate (fresh)1–2 days

MercuryVery low

Price per kg (fresh)~$8

Overall rating: Australian Sardines score 9.4/10 — high-omega, low-cost, deeply sustainable.

Various

Imported Sardines

Morocco / Portugal / Peru

Omega-3 (per 100g)1,700mg

Sustainability ratingVariable

Days to plate (fresh)Tinned only

MercuryVery low

Price per kg (fresh)~$15 (tin equivalent)

Overall rating: Imported tinned sardines score 7.0/10 — generally fine but no fresh option.

Nutrition (per 100g)

How Australian Sardines compares to imported equivalents on key nutrients.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids2200mg1700mg

Protein24.6g22g

Vitamin D9.4µg6.2µg

Selenium52µg36µg

Calcium380mg240mg

Price context

Why is the imported product cheaper?

Imported tinned sardines from Portugal, Spain and Morocco are cheaper and have iconic branding. Australian sardines are mostly sold fresh from SA's Coffin Bay fleet.

By the numbers

Carbon footprinteditorial

AUS1 kg

Imported5.5 kg

kg CO₂e per kg

Source: Country of Origin — carbon-footprint estimate

Australian jobs supportededitorial

AUS5 Australian

Imported0 Australian

Australian FTE per tonne

Source: Country of Origin — Australian FTE-per-tonne estimate

Bottom line

Bottom line

Australian fresh sardines are an underused, low-carbon, omega-3-rich seafood. Try them grilled on toast.

Sources

Sources cited on this page

Australian seafood industry — economic contribution — Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, 2023
Transport emissions estimate for imported seafood — Country of Origin (editorial analysis), 2026editorial
Combines ICCT air-freight emissions data with typical sea-freight modelling. Per-species detail varies.

Read the full Australian Sardines profile →

Side-by-side

Nutrition (per 100g)

Price context

By the numbers

Carbon footprinteditorial

Australian jobs supportededitorial

Bottom line

Sources

Sources cited on this page

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