Brussels, October 21, 2025

 

Wild-caught whitefish under pressure challenging the EU processing sector: a multi-faceted approach involving EU production, farmed fish and supportive trade policies essential.

The European seafood industry, represented by Seafood Europe (established as AIPCE-CEP in 1959), today publishes the EU Seafood Supply Synopsis 2025, summarising key trends and challenges in the EU seafood market.

“The supply of wild-caught whitefish is under pressure, and the outlook is not favourable for the moment. This has severe implications for many processing companies. Growing supplies of farmed fish species and other species like tuna and shrimps help to ease the impact and support healthy and sustainable protein supply for EU consumers.” – said Guus Pastoor, President of Seafood Europe.

“To safeguard sufficient seafood for European consumers, access to both regional production and reliable imports must be secured. Only then can the EU seafood supply remain resilient and future-proof. Fish remains an important source of proteins and essential nutrients for EU consumers.” – said Yobana Bermudez, one of the association’s Vice Presidents.

In 2024, total seafood consumption in the EU reached 10.7 million tonnes, up 5% compared to 2023. This growth was supported by an increase in EU production (+7% to 4 million tonnes) and imports from third countries (+2% to 8.8 million tonnes). Per capita consumption reached 23.8 kg/year and is expected to rise further in 2025, mainly driven by additional imports.

Demand for whitefish remained high at 2.36 million tonnes in 2024 but declined by 5% compared to 2023 and 6% relative to the 2020–2024 average. The main wild-caught species in the EU supply are Alaska Pollock (779 thousand tonnes) and cod (684 thousand tonnes). 94% of whitefish is imported, with Russia, the USA and Norway being the main external suppliers. Geopolitical tensions and resulting trade measures will further minimize supplies of Russian fish. This, together with lower quotas for species such as Barents Sea cod, adds pressure on wild-caught supplies.

Shrimp and prawn made a notable contribution to the market in 2024, with consumption up 7% to 860 thousand tonnes compared to 2023. Imports of Penaeus shrimp from Ecuador were the main driver, pushing Ecuador’s market share to 25% across the EU, particularly in Spain, France, and Italy. This trend is expected to continue in 2025.

At the same time, the supply of farmed whitefish is rising, providing some relief to the EU market. In 2024, pangasius reached 205 thousand tonnes (+12% compared to the 2020–2024 average), seabream increasedto 159 thousand tonnes (+2%), seabass rose to 136 thousand tonnes (+7%), and tilapia grew to 42 thousand tonnes (+8%). While farmed fish cannot replace wild-caught whitefish, it helps to soften the impact of declining wild stocks.

Seafood Europe emphasizes that securing seafood raw materials—from our fisheries and aquaculture as well as third countries—is essential to safeguard EU processing, employment and competitiveness. Maintaining a flexible ATQ system, concluding new Free Trade Agreements and avoiding trade barriers is crucial to ensure the continuity of the EU seafood industry.

More information contact: Katarina Sipic, Secretary General katarinasipic@seafoodeurope.eu