This article was featured in Eurofish Magazine 6 2025.
On 6 October, experts and stakeholders from around the world and from across the fisheries and aquaculture sector gathered in Vigo for the XIII Conxemar–FAO–MAPA congress to discuss global challenges in aquatic food.
At the thirteenth edition of the Conxemar-FAO-MAPA congress, Manuel Barange, FAO Assistant Director-General and Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division in his keynote address pointed to the way aquaculture has emerged as a driver of growth and a reliable source of protein, while Alberto Prieto, Chief Coordinator at Fundación Fish Nation, in the other keynote speech emphasised that climate change, unequal access to resources, and ocean governance must be integrated to meet today’s realities.
Industry collaboration with regulatory and certification bodies vital for sustainability
Among the conclusions from four round-table discussions—on consumers, innovation, social impacts, and sustainable growth—was that scaling seafood sustainability will require aligned benchmarks and stronger collaboration among businesses, certification bodies, and regulators across borders. The congress concluded with an inspirational talk by
Dr Dayna Baumeister, co-founder of the Biomimicry Institute, who demonstrated how nature and marine ecosystems can inform practical solutions to sector challenges, drawing on real-world examples, including from the renewable energy field. Isabel Artime García, Spain’s Secretary-General for Fisheries, used her closing remarks to underscore cooperation, traceability, responsible consumption, and the ocean’s central role in global food security.
The 26th edition of Conxemar, an event for the frozen seafood sector, followed the conference. Altogether, 812 exhibitors from 46 countries filled 37,000 m² of exhibition space—42 more than in the previous edition—and the fair closed with a new record of 30,405 visitors, representing growth of more than 12 percent year on year. The event organiser, the Spanish Association of Wholesalers, Importers, Exporters, and Processors of Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (Conxemar), represents 230 companies which generate an annual turnover of EUR12 billion and sustain more than 20.000 jobs. The opening was led by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Luis Planas; the Mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero; and Galicia’s Regional Minister of the Sea, Marta Villaverde, joined by representatives of FAO, the Xunta de Galicia, the Vigo Free Trade Zone, and Eloy García, Conxemar’s President.
Sessions on trade reveal the challenges of global supply chains
Across three days, the programme combined culinary showcases, presentations, technical sessions, and business meetings. A double session on the second afternoon featured an EUMOFA talk on EU fish consumption. Discussions addressed declining seafood consumption among younger Europeans (particularly those aged 18–35), the EU’s increasing reliance on imports, and how price, convenience, and taste influence purchasing decisions. A subsequent session involving FAO-GLOBEFISH, Conxemar and the FISHINFONetwork (INFOFISH, Asia–Pacific; INFOPESCA, Latin America and the Caribbean; INFOSAMAK, Arab countries and the MENA region; INFOPECHE, Africa; and Eurofish, Central and Eastern Europe) connected diverse regional perspectives with the European market outlook, providing a comprehensive overview of global seafood trade flows and emerging challenges. On the final day, organised educational visits brought groups of students to the exhibition halls to learn about career pathways in fisheries, aquaculture, and the broader seafood value chain. Guided by their lecturers and hosts, students engaged with exhibitors, explored processing innovations, and heard first-hand about skills in demand—an initiative designed to connect future talent with real industry needs. With its diverse programme of events Conxemar again illustrated its importance as a platform for the frozen seafood sector in Europe and beyond.
Francesca Barazzetta, –
francesca@eurofish.dk
