Absence of lamprey forces Penacova city council to cancel festival

Penacova City Council has decided to cancel the Lamprey Festival, usually held in February, due to a shortage of the fish, said today the municipality’s mayor, who is organizing a colloquium to discuss the decline of the species in Portugal.

The lamprey festival, which was usually held at the end of the month, has been canceled due to a shortage of lampreys, Alvaro Coimbra told Lusa, noting that the lamprey collection period will extend until April, but they are not expected to change significantly from the current scenario.

In 2022, the municipality was forced to suspend the festival also due to a lack of breeding species in the Mondego River, after which the event was held in April.

“A gastronomic event requires abundance, but lamprey is now scarce and very expensive,” the mayor explained.

Since this municipality is known as a benchmark for lamprey production, Alvaro Coimbra decided to hold a colloquium to discuss the problem of the decline of this species in Portuguese territory, and this event will also aim to demand measures to change the current scenario.

The colloquium, organized by the Chamber of Penacova and the Confraria da Lampreia de Penacova in collaboration with the Center for Marine and Environmental Sciences, will take place on Saturday at the Municipal Hall.

“Considering that we are known as the lamprey capital, we had to do something and invite the scientific community to discuss this issue,” said Alvaro Coimbra.

According to Mayor Penacova, “a number of government organizations linked to the sector” will also be invited to submit proposals for measures to ensure the conservation of species in Portugal’s rivers.

Alvaro Coimbra acknowledged the possibility of banning lamprey fishing, emphasizing that for the municipality “first of all, it is the conservation of the species.”

Jorge Cota, owner and manager of the Cota restaurant in Penacova, says this has been the worst year he can remember.

If in 2022, which was very bad, the lamprey had to be sold to the buyer at a price of 90 to 100 euros, then this year the price is set at 150-160 euros for a whole lamprey, taking into account the shortage.

However, it is not the price that deters buyers, but the lack of fish, he noted.

“I had over 50 orders for lamprey on Sunday and I had to say there were none,” said Jorge Cota, noting that he has reservations that may be canceled because he won’t have “lamprey.” to satisfy” visitors.

The situation is similar at the Boa Viagem restaurant in Porto da Raiva.

“We don’t have lamprey today. We had reservations that we had to cancel, and all the reservations we have are subject to confirmation,” said Irina Santos, a restaurant employee, stressing that demand remains despite the cost of a whole lamprey . set at 150 euros.

JGA // CCC

Lusa/The End