Poster for Spain's I National Fishing Congress, to be held on December 16 in Madrid.
Image: Pesca España.
The country's capital, Madrid, is the location chosen by the Association of National Fisheries Producer Organizations in Spain, Pesca España (Fisheries Spain), to hold the I National Fishing Congress, which on Tuesday, December 16, will bring together experts, leaders, and representatives from companies, organizations, and institutions working for the present and future of Spanish fisheries.
This first major gathering of the sector in Spain will become a space for dialogue, collaboration, and reflection, with the ultimate goal of strengthening the sector's identity, highlighting its economic and social relevance, and promoting a sustainable and innovative fishing model.
As Antonio Nieto, Manager of Pesca España, explained, the meeting marks a turning point for the sector. "It is an opportunity to highlight the essential role of fishing in our economy, in our food supply, and in our territories, and to recognize the daily efforts of those who make this activity possible," he said.
"We want all voices in the sector to be heard and for this space to serve as a place to share experiences that drive real, shared solutions," added Nieto.
Representing some of the country's most important fishing producer organizations, Pesca España was created to defend fishing for its national value as an economic driver and a fundamental part of a healthy diet, promoting fishery products based on sustainability, tradition, and, also, happiness.
Its work promoting the benefits of eating seafood, especially among young people, was recognized in 2024 with the 'Alimentos de España' (Food from Spain) Award in the promotion category. This is one of the most prestigious awards in the Spanish agri-food sector, granted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food (MAPA).
However, its efforts to reach young people are not limited to promoting consumption. Through an immersive experience in schools, it also carries out important work to attract more young talent to the fishing industry, as the lack of generational renewal is one of the main challenges facing the Spanish fishing sector.
Antonio Nieto, Manager of Pesca España.
Thus, with an eye on the future, next Tuesday's meeting in Madrid—a pioneering event that marks a milestone both for Pesca España itself and for the joint promotion of the sector—will address the main challenges currently facing the Spanish fishing industry.
The planned program includes discussions on regulatory challenges and European regulations. For example, just last month, the European Union adopted new rules to streamline and harmonize fisheries control, published new guidelines aimed at transparency and fairness for small-scale fisheries, and revised the proposal for fishing in the Mediterranean for 2026 to reflect advances in conservation, something that, as a coastal country, affects Spain. Participants in the Congress will attempt to provide a strategic vision of this entire legislative framework.
Innovation and sustainability will also feature prominently throughout the day, along with a presentation on the 'National Food Strategy and its impact on fishing' by José Miguel Herrero Velasco, MAPA's Director General, which will analyze the role of the sector within public food policies.
Business excellence and the added value of fishery products will also be highlighted in one of the Congress's central debates. Participants will include leading figures from the sector, such as Juan Serrano, CEO of Balfegó Group, a leading company in bluefin tuna; Marta Crespo, Managing Director of the Almadrabas Fishery Producers Organization, an association to ensure the sustainability of bluefin tuna; and Pedro Muñoz, President of Petaca Chico, a benchmark company in wild bluefin tuna from almadraba fishing.
The focus on people will come with a space dedicated to fishing as experienced by different generations, highlighting the experience, tradition, and generational change that, as mentioned above, is one of the main concerns and occupations of Pesca España.
Next, there will also be a debate on the evolution of today's consumer, with the participation of María Luisa Álvarez Blanco, General Director of Fedepesca, the Spanish National Federation of Provincial Associations of Retailers of Fish and Frozen Products, and Rafa Piñeiro, Director of External Relations for the Fishing Sector at Mercadona, the leading and fastest-growing supermarket chain in Spain in 2025.
To conclude the meeting, there will be a cross-cutting reflection on seafood as an essential food for life, science, and health, with the participation of professionals and experts from different fields.
The final touch of Spain's I National Fishing Congress will be the presentation of the I Pesca España Awards, recognizing innovation, sustainability, and commitment to the sector.