Fish & Seafood Prices in Switzerland: Where to Actually Buy in 2026

Salmon compared: fresh, smoked, frozen

The Aktion cycle matters more than the brand. When M-Classic ASC Lachsfilet drops to CHF 7.95 for 500g (CHF 1.59 per 100g), it undercuts even M-Budget at regular price. Watching the Aktion calendar across both Migros and Coop is the single highest-leverage move in this category.

In December 2023, Greenpeace Switzerland published an analysis of Migros and Coop fish promotions over a three-month period. Salmon accounted for 24% of all Coop fish Aktionen and 13% of all Migros fish Aktionen, with the discounts running between 41% and 50%. At 50% off, fresh salmon was priced at CHF 2.17 per 100g. Greenpeace argued that this normalises high consumption of farmed Atlantic salmon, which has documented environmental costs (escapes from sea cages, salmon-lice management, the fish-in-fish-out feed ratio, parts of the certification chain criticised by independent reviewers including the Scottish Wild Fish report). Both Migros and Coop responded that they comply with the relevant sustainability standards. This article reports the criticism without endorsing or dismissing it.

The premium Swiss-farmed option is Swiss Lachs from Lostallo. It is sold mostly direct via swisslachs.ch and through a small set of fine-grocery and gastronomy partners, not at the major supermarket chains. Pricing per 100g runs roughly twice the price of standard ASC-labelled imported salmon. The trade-off is full Swiss origin, indoor closed-loop aquaculture, no antibiotics, no microplastic exposure, no salmon-lice issues, and (uniquely) safe to eat raw without prior freezing, because the indoor system means no parasites.

White fish compared: cod, hake, sea bass, sea bream

Cod prices climbed steadily after 2020 because of stock-management quota cuts in the North Atlantic. Hake is usually the closest taste-and-texture substitute at a meaningfully lower price. Pangasius is the cheapest white fish at the supermarket counter and the most frequently criticised on environmental grounds. In May 2026 the frozen-cod price at Migros and Coop was typically around CHF 18 to CHF 28 per kg depending on cut, brand and Aktion timing.

Shellfish, prawns and tuna

A 2022 Kassensturz / SRF prawn test found that prawn quality at the major Swiss retailers had broadly improved (fewer dangerous bacteria), but flagged ongoing concerns about chlorate residues at some products (including Aldi's Golden Seafood line) and the wider environmental cost of prawn aquaculture. Migros's response was that all frozen prawns from Asia are tested for antibiotic residues at origin and released only on negative result. Coop has stated that all its fresh and frozen fish and seafood are now MSC or ASC certified. The pragmatic takeaway: prawns are best treated as an occasional category rather than a weekly staple, and ASC or organic certification matters more here than in any other fish category.

In May 2026, canned tuna was the category with the widest gap between Aldi and Lidl on one side and Migros and Coop on the other. MSC-certified canned tuna in brine at Aldi Suisse or Lidl Schweiz typically landed at CHF 1.80 to CHF 2.50 per 150g tin, versus CHF 2.50 to CHF 3.50 at Migros and Coop for comparable own-brand product. Premium brands (Rio Mare, Costa) were priced consistently across all retailers within roughly CHF 0.30 per tin.

Swiss freshwater fish: Felchen, Egli, Bachforelle

Migros began farming Egli and Felchen at the Micarna Birsfelden facility in September 2020, targeting 240 tonnes per year. The aim was to make Swiss freshwater fish available year-round (rather than seasonally lake-dependent) and to reduce reliance on imported freshwater fish. About 72% of freshwater fish consumed in Switzerland is still imported even though these are nominally Swiss species. Bachforelle from Swiss aquaculture is the most accessible and consistently priced Swiss fish in supermarkets.

Sustainability: MSC and ASC at Migros and Coop

Both Migros and Coop have made strong commitments on fish sustainability labelling.

• MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certifies wild-caught fish. The blue MSC label is awarded to fisheries that meet defined sustainability standards. Migros has been a member of the WWF Seafood Group since 2008 and reports that 97% of its fish range is sourced from sustainable fisheries or responsible aquaculture.
• ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) certifies farmed fish. The green ASC label covers most farmed salmon, shrimp and trout at Migros and Coop. Coop has stated that, as the first and only Swiss retailer in this position, all fresh and frozen fish and seafood in its assortment is now MSC or ASC certified.

The ASC label has been criticised by independent reviewers in recent years, most prominently in a 2023 report by the Scottish conservation organisation Wild Fish, which documented welfare and environmental issues at certified salmon farms in Scotland and Norway. The certification body responded that some of the cited cases reflected unusual operational conditions and that the certification framework continues to be tightened.

For the price-conscious shopper, the practical position is: prefer MSC and ASC over uncertified product where the price difference is small (usually it is small), prefer Bio or Demeter labels where they are available and the budget allows, and treat prawns and farmed salmon as the categories where the certification choice has the largest downstream environmental significance. See the organic food price comparison for the wider Bio context.

Beyond the supermarket: fish counters at Manor Food and Globus

Check the store finder first. Manor Food is shrinking in German-speaking Switzerland: the supermarkets in Rapperswil, Emmen and Basel pass to Coop across 2026 and 2027, the Morges floor goes to Migros, and the Delemónt, Wohlen AG and Sargans SG department stores close from Q1 2027. The chain is being concentrated on French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland, so confirm your nearest branch on manor.ch before making the trip.

For Saint-Pierre, line-caught tuna, sushi-grade fresh fillets, oyster origins, or whole Mediterranean dorade and bar, the premium supermarket counters at Manor Food and Globus Delicatessa carry species and origins that are rare at the mainstream supermarket chains. Prices sit above the mainstream supermarkets where an equivalent exists, but for the specific cuts these are often the only Swiss-market source.

Fish is also the single most Aktion-heavy category in Swiss grocery. Greenpeace's 2023 analysis showed salmon Aktionen running between 41% and 50% off, with similar discount cycles on prawns and selected white fish. The retail-shelf regular price is rarely what households actually pay over a year. For the cheapest-overall ranking, see cheapest supermarket in Switzerland.