page_title: Sardines as food
section_title: United States
hierarchical_section_title: Sardines as food / Around the world / United States
caption_attribution_description: English: Title: Pick of the fleet, Sardine Carriers, Eastport, Me., these boats cost from ten to twenty thousand dollars each Subjects: Boats Places: Maine &gt; Washington (county) &gt; Eastport Notes: Title from item. Extent: 1 print (postcard)&#160;: linen texture, color&#160;; 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. Accession #: 06_10_003307
context_page_description: Sardines are a nutrient-rich, small, oily fish widely consumed by humans and as forage fish by larger fish species, seabirds and marine mammals. Sardines are a source of omega-3 fatty acids. Sardines are often served in cans, but can also be eaten grilled, pickled, or smoked when fresh.
  Sardines are related to herrings, both in the family Clupeidae. The term sardine was first used in English during the early 15th century, and may come from the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which sardines were once abundant.
  The terms sardine and pilchard are not precise, and what is meant depends on the region. The United Kingdom's Sea Fish Industry Authority, for example, classifies sardines as young pilchards. One criterion suggests fish shorter in length than 6 inches are sardines, and larger ones pilchards. The FAO/WHO Codex standard for canned sardines cites 21 species that may be classed as sardines; FishBase, a comprehensive database of information about fish, calls at least six species just 'pilchard', over a dozen just 'sardine', and many more with both those two basic names qualified by various adjectives.
context_section_description: In the United States, the sardine canning industry peaked in the 1950s. Since then, the industry has been on the decline. The last large sardine cannery in the United States, the Stinson Seafood plant in Prospect Harbor, Maine, closed its doors on April 15, 2010, after 135 years in operation.
caption: Sardine fleet in Maine c. 1940s
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