Sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) are the two most known and most numerous representatives in the catch of small blue fish. The meat of all fish, including small blue fish, is subject to spoilage, which can occur at all stages from the catch to the final consumer. A number of physical, chemical, biochemical and microbiological factors from the very preparation for the fishing operation, catch, preparation for the market and storage can have a great impact on the quality and safety of the fish product. The aim of this work was to determine the changes in the physical parameters of the freshness of anchovy, E. encrasicolus, and sardine, S. pilchardus regarding the way of handling and storage immediately after catching. The collection of fish samples was carried out on the purse seiner "Davorin" after commercial fishing, where six kilograms of each species were sampled. The samples were divided into three groups: group I iced immediately after the catch, group II one hours, and group III was iced two hours after the catch. After icing, all three groups were stored in the same way, and changes in meat pH and electrical conductivity were measured over the next five days. The differences in the measured values of the collected results between the three groups of samples were analyzed using the ANOVA test. Based on the obtained results, we can conclude that for the best quality and the longest shelf life of sardines and anchovies, it is of great importance to cool the fish as quickly as possible after the catch and to transport and store it properly.