Auction for the first keg of herring raises 81,000 euros for charity

The yearly auction for the first keg of Hollandse Nieuwe herring raised a sum of 81,000 euros, the Dutch Fish Marketing Board reported. The proceeds will go to the Nederlandse Hersenbank, which is the Dutch Brain Bank.

The fee is lower than in the last few years. In 2023, the first keg of herring was auctioned for a record sum of 159,500 euros. The year before, it went for 113,500 euros, which was a record at the time.

Scheveningen was the location for the auction on Tuesday. The auction marks the symbolic start of the new herring season and is held every year. The proceeds will go to charity, as is the case every year.

The Nederlandse Hersenbank collects pieces of the brains of deceased people who have applied to be organ donors. Scientists worldwide can use the brain tissue for research purposes.

This type of research leads to increased knowledge of how the brain works, which Hersenbank claims can be used to aid treatments for psychological issues and conditions like Alzheimer's.