Spain remains the leading aquaculture producer in the European Union in terms of volume, producing 243,098 tonnes in 2023, which represents 23 per cent of the EU's total output. The data was released in a new report from Spain's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food.
According to the report, the value of Spain's aquaculture production reached €805.9 million ($870 million) in 2023.
While the quantity of seafood produced decreased by 16.2 per cent compared to the previous year, the value of that production was 21.6 per cent above the average for the last five years. The report stated that by value, Spain is the second-largest EU producer, behind France.
In 2023, aquaculture contributed 26 per cent of the total volume and approximately 31 per cent of the economic value of all aquatic animal production in Spain, including wild-capture fishing. Molluscs, primarily mussels, represent more than half of the total volume produced.
Galicia is Spain's leading aquaculture-producing region, accounting for 67.8 per cent of the total national volume and 24.4 per cent of the value, mainly due to its significant mussel farming industry.
The report also noted that Spanish aquaculture generated around 11,500 jobs in 2023, representing one in every four jobs in the sector across the European Union.
