Fish & Seafood Retailing in European Union 2026: Industry Statistics & Trends

The fish and seafood retailing industry in the European Union comprises the specialized sale of fish, crustaceans, and molluscs to consumers, operating alongside massive grocery supermarket networks. According to the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA), EU household expenditure on fishery and aquaculture products reached 62.8 billion euros in 2024, representing a 4% increase from 2023 driven largely by inflationary price pressures rather than volume growth. Reflecting these economic challenges, EU apparent per capita consumption of seafood fell to 22.89 kg in 2023, which represents the lowest level recorded in a decade. The industry is navigating struc

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What does the Fish & Seafood Retailing in European Union industry cover?

The industry encompasses the specialized retail sale of fresh, chilled, frozen, processed, and preserved fish, crustaceans, and molluscs directly to final consumers. While specialized fishmongers form the traditional core of this sector, the majority of retail seafood volume in the European Union is distributed via modern grocery formats, including hypermarkets, supermarkets, and discounters.

• •Classified officially under NACE Rev. 2 code 47.23, which covers specialized retail sale of fish, crustaceans, and molluscs.
• •Includes the retail distribution of both wild-caught capture fisheries and farmed aquaculture products.
• •Excludes industrial fish processing (NACE 10.20) and wholesaling activities without direct consumer retail operations.

Who operates in the industry and how is it structured?

The European seafood retail landscape exhibits a dual structure, where highly fragmented independent traditional fishmongers co-exist with consolidated multinational grocery giants. Southern European nations maintain a higher density of traditional, service-counter fishmongers, whereas Northern and Central European markets rely heavily on pre-packaged, self-service retail models within corporate supermarket chains.

• •Traditional fishmonger networks are dense in Mediterranean Member States like Spain, Italy, and Greece, where fresh fish counter service remains culturally preferred.
• •Northern European retail channels are dominated by integrated grocery lines that prioritize frozen, canned, and modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP) formats.
• •The upstream processing sector supporting these retailers is largely small-scale, with Eurostat reporting 3,262 fish processing enterprises operating across the EU in 2023.

What drives demand in the industry?

Seafood consumer demand across the European Union is driven by health trends favoring high-protein and low-fat diets, counterbalanced heavily by disposable income levels and retail price sensitivity. Price inflation since 2020 has altered purchasing behavior, causing consumers to trade down from premium wild-caught species to more affordable farmed options or frozen items.

• •Persistent inflation has caused retail aquatic product prices to rise by over 25% between 2020 and 2024, dampening overall unit demand.
• •At-home purchases of fresh fish experienced a sharp drop, decreasing by more than 4% between 2023 and 2024 across the highest-consuming EU markets.
• •The domestic retail supply is deeply tied to import dynamics, as the EU maintained a low self-sufficiency rate for seafood of 38.1% in 2023.

Who are the notable companies in the industry?

The retail distribution of seafood is highly competitive, dominated by large European grocery conglomerates that leverage immense purchasing power to source globally. Specialized seafood processing firms act as critical public intermediaries, supplying private-label and branded consumer packaged fish goods directly to these retail networks.

• •Carrefour SA and Mercadona SA represent prominent retail operators commanding significant fresh and frozen seafood market shares in France and Spain respectively.
• •Nomad Foods Limited, a leading European frozen food public manufacturer, reported a 9% surge in its frozen fish-finger sales across France and Belgium in 2025.
• •Jerónimo Martins SGPS SA dominates Portuguese food retailing, distributing vast volumes of fresh Atlantic cod and cephalopods like octopus.
• •Mowi ASA and Leroy Seafood Group ASA, while primarily Norwegian aquaculture producers, operate extensive downstream value-added processing and retail supply programs throughout the EU.

What are the recent trends and outlook?

The industry is adapting to a long-term structural shift toward ready-to-cook, pre-marinated, and convenience-oriented seafood portions to accommodate modern lifestyles. Amid tight wild-catch fishing quotas and high wild-harvest prices, retailers are expanding shelf space for farmed species such as salmon, shrimp, and seabass.

• •EU salmon import volumes grew by 5% in 2024, supported by robust European aquaculture output and steady retail demand.
• •Strict quotas on Northeast Arctic cod caused retail supply contractions, pushing first-sale cod prices up to 6.90 EUR/kg in 2024 and 8.22 EUR/kg in early 2025.
• •Warmwater shrimp imports expanded significantly, rising 4% in volume during 2024 and gaining an additional 10% year-on-year in early 2025.

How is the industry regulated?

EU seafood retailers must comply with complex regulatory frameworks governing product traceability, commercial designations, and sustainable harvesting. Compliance mandates strict consumer labeling that explicitly details the commercial name of the species, production method, catch area, and fishing gear utilized.

• •Governed heavily by the Common Organisation of the Markets (CMO) Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013, which dictates strict consumer information and labeling standards.
• •Retailers face evolving supply boundaries dictated by annual Total Allowable Catches (TACs) set under the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
• •Operations must adhere to General Food Law Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, ensuring comprehensive 'one-step-back, one-step-forward' electronic traceability throughout the cold chain.

Government, statistical and trade sources used for this Claight analysis.

• EUMOFA The EU Fish Market 2025 ·
• European Commission Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) Social Report 2026 ·
• Eurostat Aquaculture Statistics 2024