Portugal and the fish deficit

Regarding my trip to the Azores this week, I remembered to analyze the fishing sector, even though it is a “side” topic to these Rural Chronicles .

Portugal is one of the world’s largest consumers of fish per capita , with around 60 kg per person per year. Fish is part of our food and cultural heritage — from cod to sardines, we have nothing missing from our table. The problem is that, increasingly, this fish is not ours.

The trade balance of the fishery sector recorded, in 2023, a deficit of over 1.1 billion euros, which corresponds to around 20% of the Portuguese agri-food deficit (in 2023, the agri-food trade balance reached a deficit of 5.7 billion euros; a “brutality”!).

As for fish, we produce little, import a lot and, as a result, we are structurally dependent on foreign sources to feed our appetite for the sea. It is true that, in 2023, cod represented a significant portion of this deficit, worth 396 million euros, which represents a considerable weight in the sector's trade balance.

This deficit is not unique in our agri-food balance. In the cereal sector (in 2023, this sector accounted for 22% of the Portuguese agri-food deficit), external dependence is also high and historical — largely because our territory, with poor soils and a dry climate for much of the year, does not offer ideal conditions for large-scale cereal production at competitive costs. In other words, in the case of cereals, dependence is, to a certain extent, structural and inevitable.

But with fish, the story is different. Portugal has an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of around 1.7 million km², almost 20 times larger than the national land area. It is one of the largest EEZs in Europe and the world. In theory, we are a maritime power. In practice, we are a “dormant” fishing economy. The country with one of the largest “seas” in the EU has one of the largest deficits in its seafood balance. I therefore think it is reasonable to conclude that it is not due to a lack of sea, but rather a lack of strategy.

There are multiple reasons for this imbalance. First of all, our fishing fleet is ageing and generational renewal is scarce. There is also the issue of fishing quotas imposed by the European Union, which significantly reduce what we can catch. In any case, we have not been able to take advantage of this. According to the INE Fisheries Statistics, in 2023, we only used 29% of the national fishing quota and, in 2024, we used 26% of the quota.

On the other hand, there is a gap between what we consume and what we can produce. The species preferred by the Portuguese — such as North Atlantic cod and Norwegian salmon — do not exist in our waters or are not caught on a large scale. The national processing industry, although with excellent examples (such as canned food), continues to import a large part of the raw material already processed, losing value in the chain. And aquaculture, which could be part of the solution, has evolved slowly, hindered by bureaucracy, licensing difficulties and lack of scale.

The question, therefore, is not just “why do we import so much”, but rather: what can we do to reverse this cycle?

The answer requires, first and foremost, a clear and articulated strategy. There is a need to invest decisively in national aquaculture, with administrative simplification, investment incentives and the promotion of local species. There is an urgent need to renew and modernise the fishing fleet, with sustainability criteria, and attract new generations to the activity. The processing industry must be supported in creating value — filleting, freezing, ready-to-eat products — and in creating clusters that link production, processing and distribution.

It is also necessary to educate consumers, promoting less valued national species, and gradually replacing part of the imports with alternatives produced locally.

The Portuguese sea has scale, resources and potential. So do the knowledge and traditions. But without coherent public policies, long-term planning and investment in innovation, the fish will continue to come from abroad.

Portugal has the conditions to reduce its fish deficit, as it has achieved in other agri-food sectors. Promoting the consumption of national fish is an essential step towards strengthening food sovereignty, boosting the blue economy and enhancing the resources that the Portuguese sea has to offer.

There is so much to do that the challenge is to move from intentions to actions.

Agricultural engineer and general director of Consulai