The oldest is sold first, in this case 3 days old, while the following days fish is kept down the other end of the market. An approximate order is applied in the sale and this makes sure that it is fair for every boat. Nobody will be first, or last, all of the time. Fridays fish was only one day older than Saturdays but is was not as dear. With much of the fish going on to supermarkets, freshness is paramount.
Shelf life is the major factor and the fresher it is, the longer it can stay on the shelf.
This gives the supermarket more time to make a sale. Mackerel were making 30p for small, 60p for medium and 1.50 for large. Most of the fish that I saw leave the market were shipped out in polystyrene boxes. After market, I returned to my Hotel for some breakfast and headed back to the boat at 9.00am. The skipper and crew were already fuelling up and doing some small jobs.