Spain is at the head of Europe in fish consumption, according to the results of a survey presented on April 21, in Brussels, where the Global Seafood Expo, the largest event in the fishing industry, is being held.
The first survey on Fish Consumption and the Fishing Sector’s Role in Europe, conducted by Europêche reveals that:
• 75 per cent of Spaniards consume seafood 2-3 times per week, compared to 70 per cent of Europeans, who only do so once a week.
• The fishing industry contributes with EUR 71.3 billion to the EU economy, but only 1.7 per cent of the EU budget for 2014 has been assigned to the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) to promote the sustainable catch of natural resources.

The survey also reveals that 84 per cent of Europeans prefer to eat fish at home, rather than at a restaurant, and 73 per cent buys it in the supermarket, even though these facilities do not offer enough variety.
Moreover, 68 per cent of European consumers want to know more details of the origin of fish and its method of capture, which, according to Europêche, will contribute the obligation introduced in December 2014, to include this information on the label. In addition, 54 per cent states that the sustainable capture is a decisive factor in the purchase.
As regards the review of the fisheries sector, it should be noted that 81.3 per cent of Spaniards think it has a vital role in feeding the world's population and 91.9 per cent calls for the Government's support on this industry, compared with 71 per cent and 84 per cent of Europeans, respectively.
From what the fishing industry contributes to the EU economy, 1.7 per cent of the 2014 EU budget has been allocated to the EMF to promote the sustainable exploitation of natural resources compared to 97.5 per cent for European agriculture. This amounts to EUR 1 billion as finance for the fisheries sector compared to EUR 57 billion to strengthen the agricultural sector, only in 2014.