When Did Pilchards Become Sardines?

The traditional name for the fish, pilchards, summed up images of tins and tomato sauce. So in 1997, after some interesting market research by Nick Howell at the The Pilchard Works, the fish was re-branded as Cornish Sardines.

Why are pilchards now called sardines?

They are a group of several types of small oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. Sardines were named after the island of Sardinia, where they were once in abundance. The smaller fish are known as Sardines and the larger, older fish are Pilchards.

Are pilchards same as sardines?

Sardines, also referred to as pilchards, are a group of small, oily fish that were once found in great abundance around the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean.