Europe relies heavily on imported fish to feed its markets, a reality highlighted by the latest EU fish market data released by the European Fisheries and Aquaculture Market Observatory (Eumofa) and reported weeks ago by Prensa Ibérica in Faro de Vigo. In 2022, the bloc invested about €31.9 billion in seafood from outside the union, a rise of roughly 23 percent from 2021, when the figure hovered near 26,000 units. Overall, 6.1 million tonnes entered the EU, a drop of about 3 percent from the prior year, resulting in a persistent trade deficit. For every euro earned from selling fish abroad, Europe spends about four euros to import more, underscoring the dependence on external supplies.
The situation is worsened by the decline of local producers, including shipowners selling off vessels and fishermen facing reduced activity due to limited support. In response, the Union has implemented more flexible policies to secure essential raw materials for its processing industry and to keep the domestic supply chain intact for consumers. Canneries based in Galicia and similar facilities stand to gain from the new autonomous tariff quota framework approved by Brussels. This framework aims to ensure continued access to raw materials from non-EU countries at reduced or zero tax rates.
With this mechanism, the EU seeks to secure the inputs needed by the seafood sector.
The regulation, extended to cover 2024 through 2026 after the 2021-2023 period, was approved to ensure a total of 903,600 tonnes of foreign fish can flow into the EU, an increase of 8.7 percent over the previous period. Nearly all of this amount will enjoy a 0 percent tariff, meaning no duties will be charged. The new plan keeps the main species under autonomous tariff quotas: Alaskan pollock (340,000 tonnes), cod (fresh, chilled, or frozen) and the Boreogadus saida species (110,000 tonnes), frozen surimi (60,000 tonnes), prawns and Penaeus vannamei (collectively 48,000 tonnes for the cooked and peeled category), Pacific hake and Argentine hake (40,000 tonnes), and tuna and tuna fillets (35,000 tonnes). Cod Gadus morhua and Gadus macrocephalus in fillets and frozen meats see a small reduction from 50,000 to 45,000 tonnes.
On the positive side, new entries include Patagonian squid, Loligo gahi (75,000 tonnes), and tilapia (10,000 tonnes) among favored species. Increases are also seen in fresh, chilled, or frozen shrimp and prawns with shells, notably Pleoticus tumbari rising from 8,000 to 16,000 tonnes and cooked and peeled Pandalus jordani from 2,000 to 4,000 tonnes. Some reductions affect herring and shark products treated with spices or vinegar, brined and stored in barrels with a drained weight of at least 70 kilograms, totaling 5,000 tonnes.
Despite these adjustments, the regulation does not include some aspects. Quotas remain in place for seafood imports from Belarus and Russia, a policy that will influence Alaska pollock imports despite the substantial existing allocation. The regulatory shift is tied to actions related to the war in Ukraine, and the EU acknowledges it will affect trade patterns and require adjustments by the industry. If new raw materials outside the current scope become urgently needed during the transition, the regulation may be revised to accommodate those needs.
Planas emphasizes that the regulation helps preserve the competitiveness of the processing sector.
Luis Planas, minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, stated that the regulation protects the competitiveness of the processing industry and ensures a steady supply of affordable, high-quality seafood for consumers in Europe. He also indicated he would defend Spain’s interests during negotiations on the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and quotas for 2024, ahead of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels. While some groups expressed optimism, others in the shipowning sector and related industries welcomed the new proposals but urged stronger ambition for other categories like certain tuna products. European industry bodies, including Europêche, praised the climate and biodiversity considerations embedded in the latest policies, yet called for clearer and more ambitious steps for certain fishery products. Anfaco-Cecopesca, representing the Spanish canned foods sector, hailed some increases but lamented the absence of broader adjustments across more species.