EU aquaculture output declined to 1 million tonnes in 2024

Aquaculture production in the European Union fell in both volume and value in 2024, according to new figures published by Eurostat.

Together, EU member states produced 1 million tonnes of farmed fish, molluscs, algae and crustaceans in 2024, with a total value of €4.6 billion. Compared with 2023, production volume declined by 3.7%, while value fell by 3.6%.

Eurostat said aquaculture accounted for about one-quarter of the EU’s total fisheries output by volume, well below the global average. The agency said this highlighted “growth potential” for the sector in the EU.

Production was concentrated in a small number of member states. Spain continued to be the largest producer by volume, reaching a total of 246,137 tonnes, equivalent to 24.3% of the EU total. France followed with 181,434 tonnes, or 17.9%, while Greece produced 127,493 tonnes, Italy 98,051 tonnes and Poland 43,554 tonnes.

Together, Spain, France, Greece and Italy accounted for 64.6% of total EU aquaculture output by live weight.

France recorded the highest value of aquaculture production in 2024, at an estimated €857 million, narrowly ahead of Spain at €856 million. Greece followed with €689 million and Italy with €384 million.

Eurostat said the difference between volume and value reflected the varying prices of farmed species. Mussels had an average first sale price of about €1.30 per kg, compared with around €7.30 per kg for seabass and €12.60 per kg for tuna.

By species, mussels continued to dominate EU aquaculture production in live weight terms, accounting for 32.8% of the total in 2024. Trout made up 17.2%, while gilthead seabream accounted for 10.0%.

In value terms, trout was once again the most important farmed species, representing 17.9% of total EU aquaculture value. Seabass followed at 14.5%, with gilthead seabream at 13.5%.

Eurostat said EU aquaculture remained focused mainly on finfish and molluscs, while algae and seaweed farming was still a small but emerging part of the blue economy. France was the main EU producer of farmed aquatic plants in 2024, with an average price of about €20 per kg wet weight.

The figures also show a high degree of national specialisation across the EU. Spain produced nearly three-quarters of the EU’s farmed Mediterranean mussels, while Greece produced more than half of its farmed gilthead seabream and European seabass. Malta accounted for about 53% of EU farmed Atlantic bluefin tuna production, followed by Spain with 31% and Croatia with 14%.

Ireland was the only EU country farming salmon in 2024, producing about 13,400 tonnes. This remained far below Norway’s salmon-dominated aquaculture sector.

In comparison, Norway produced 1.6 million tonnes of aquatic organisms in 2024, worth €9.5 billion, more than twice the value of the EU’s aquaculture output. Eurostat said Norway’s aquaculture production value was almost two and a half times higher than in 2010.

Across the EU, aquaculture volumes have remained broadly stable since 2010, but the value of production has risen by 72%, mainly due to higher prices, particularly in 2021 and 2022.

Organic aquaculture production continued to vary widely between member states, according to the report. Ireland had the highest organic share among major producers, with about 46% of its aquaculture production farmed organically in 2024. The Netherlands followed at about 45%, Germany at about 35% and Lithuania at about 29%.

However, organic aquaculture represented less than 2% of total production in several large aquaculture countries, including France, Spain, Poland and Romania.

Per capita production also remained low by global standards. The EU produced an average of 2.25 kg of aquaculture products per person in 2024, compared with a global average of about 16.4 kg. Malta had the highest EU figure, at 33.9 kg per capita, followed by Greece at 12.2 kg, Cyprus at 9.4 kg and Croatia at 7.6 kg.

By comparison, Iceland produced 147.3 kg per capita and Norway 300.9 kg per capita in 2024, Eurostat said.