Mowi's ready-to-cook salmon format for the Spanish market. Spanish consumers are increasingly looking for convenient and easy-to-prepare seafood options.
Photo: Mowi.
Salmon consumption trends in Spain in 2025 will be driven by consumers' growing interest in healthy, sustainable and high-quality food, as well as convenience. Spaniards' interest in ready-to-eat products and preference for premium options are shaping the evolution of Spanish market, according to analysis presented by Norwegian salmon giant Mowi.
The strength of salmon in its most premium version in the Spanish market contrasts with the latest Eurobarometer survey on EU consumer habits regarding fishery and aquaculture products that we learned yesterday, which showed a decline in consumption of fishery and aquaculture products since 2021.
According to the results of the European survey, the most influential factor in purchasing decisions is cost. This is also true in Mowi's home country of Norway, where a recent discount campaign by Extra and Kiwi supermarkets in collaboration with the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) showed that lower prices increase fish consumption.
Despite being a mostly imported fish in a country with such a long tradition and fishing production as Spain, salmon has become one of the most valued options in the Spanish tables. From Mowi they claim this is due to "its versatility at cooking, its high nutritional value and its ability to adapt to various gastronomic trends."
According to the latest data available from Spain's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food on fish consumption in the country's households, in the rolling year from December 2023 to November 2024, while overall fish purchases fell by 4.6 %, salmon purchases grew by 8.9 %.
If we talk specifically about salmon of Norwegian origin, according to the Spanish news agency Europa Press, in 2024, consumption rose by 14%. The information included statements by Tore Holvik, Norwegian Seafood Council envoy to Spain, who assured that this figure rose to 18% in the case of smoked salmon.
"Total consumption of Norwegian salmon has increased and it is clear that the Spanish consumer loves our salmon," the NSC envoy to Spain told Europa Press. Holvik - who was appointed a year ago, in February 2024, and took over in August - already knew the Spanish market as he had previously been responsible for sales to overseas markets and frozen products precisely at Mowi, and had also worked in Western Europe (Spain, France, Portugal, Benelux, and the United Kingdom) for a period.
As a result of the analysis of the Spanish consumers' needs, Mowi has detected four major trends:
Health as the main focus of fish consumption. More and more consumers are looking for options that contribute to a balanced and nutritious diet and, as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, proteins and essential vitamins, salmon is a great option.
Ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat products. Consumers are increasingly looking for convenient and easy-to-prepare options without compromising on quality or taste, and ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat products have gained prominence. This is what, in an interview with WeAreAquaculture when he was still Chief Marketing Officer at Avramar, Øyvind Ihle - now CEO of the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative - called "the convenience factor."
Premium products, key to consumer choice. Beyond convenience, more and more consumers are also looking for premium options that offer a superior dining experience. According to Mowi's analysis, the demand for gourmet options has driven the preference for products made with careful processes and selected ingredients.
Sustainability as a fundamental pillar. Sustainability has become one of the main concerns of Spanish consumers, who are increasingly looking for environmentally friendly products that guarantee a lower environmental impact. In the food sector, this trend translates into a preference for brands that implement responsible practices throughout their production and distribution chain.
Indeed, in 2024, Mowi was ranked as the most sustainable animal protein producer in the Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index for the 6th year in a row. As the company highlights in its presentation of the trend analysis in Spain, advances in aquaculture have enabled it to develop more sustainable and efficient production techniques.
The salmon producer implements sustainability measures at every stage of its production process, from salmon farming to distribution, including the manufacture of its own feed. Recently, Mowi's feed mills in Norway and Scotland achieved ASC certification.
Along with this lower environmental impact, as seen, Spanish consumers are looking for nutritious, practical and quality products, as well as premium options with high gastronomic value. These types of needs or demands are what ultimately drive innovation in the industry.
This is the understanding of Mowi, which as part of its growth strategy in the Iberian market - that is, Spain and Portugal - inaugurated its renovated production plant in Zaragoza, Aragon region, Spain, last September. The new facility was designed to strengthen the product offering, expand the portfolio, and guarantee the best salmon quality.
Back then, Isabel Lorea, Category Leader Fresh WE & Marketing Manager at Mowi Iberia, announced that to achieve this, the company intended to carry out this trend study, the results of which we now learn. "Our plans in Spain are ambitious; we want to continue to strengthen our market position by closely analyzing the particular needs of consumers in order to offer new products that meet them," she said.