The official start of the herring season, usually early June, is being delayed for a further two weeks because the quality of the fish ‘is not good enough’, news agency ANP reports.

The first barrel of herring will now go under the hammer at the traditional charity auction on June 19, the Dutch fish board said. Last year, the first barrel fetched a record €95,000.

The delay is due to the poor spring weather and lack of sunshine, which has stunted the growth of plankton, a staple food supply for herring.

‘There is no point in starting the season with poor quality fish because consumers will be dissatisfied and you may lose the whole season,’ Nico de Jong, chairman of the herring wholesale association said.

The start of the season was last delayed in 2006.