Conxemar presents its 2025–2026 Activities Report in Madrid after reaching its highest number of members in the last fifteen years

• President Eloy García highlights the progress of the 2023–2026 Strategic Plan and the association’s role as a leading collective project, underlining the historic membership record achieved over the past fifteen years
• He emphasizes the importance of the International Frozen Seafood Exhibition, which generates trade agreements worth €831.7 million, and notes that the turnover of member companies is equivalent to nearly 1% of Spain’s GDP
• He also stresses the commitment to connecting with society through initiatives such as Conxemar Lab and the Fish Nation Foundation, and calls for unity within the sector to continue growing.

The Spanish Association of Wholesalers, Importers, Exporters and Processors of Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (Conxemar) presented its 2025–2026 Annual Report in Madrid at an event held at the Real Casa de Correos, bringing together institutional representatives, business leaders, and industry stakeholders.

In this context, Conxemar’s President, Eloy García, highlighted the association’s progress over the past year, stating that “this has not been just another year, but a year of progress, consolidation, and, above all, results.”

He pointed out that the Annual Report reflects the association’s progress in implementing the 2023–2026 Strategic Plan, translating it into “concrete and measurable outcomes,” and positioned the consolidation of Conxemar as a collective sector project at the core of this progress.

The association currently represents 256 companies—the highest number in the past fifteen years—generating more than €12.25 billion in revenue and over 21,200 direct jobs, accounting for 82% of the frozen seafood industry’s turnover in Spain.

García also highlighted that Conxemar now represents more than 60% of employment and 65% of the turnover in the fisheries products industry and trade. “The turnover of Conxemar member companies is equivalent to nearly 1% of Spain’s GDP,” he added. The association has also consolidated its role as a key player in collective bargaining, recently reaching a preliminary agreement with trade unions—acting as the sole interlocutor—that will ensure sector stability until 2029.

Industry strength and influence

Beyond the figures, the president emphasized the sector’s structural strength: “These are not just numbers. They reflect a solid, well-structured industry with real influence.”

In this regard, García underlined Conxemar’s position as a key interlocutor within the industry: “We are present—and, more importantly, we are heard—in the main European and international forums.”

This international projection is also reflected in its flagship events. The Conxemar International Frozen Seafood Exhibition, held in Vigo, has established itself as a leading global event, with its latest edition bringing together 30,405 visitors and 812 companies from 46 countries, generating trade agreements worth €831.7 million—around 5% of the sector’s total annual turnover in Spain. The event also contributed to the creation of 7,500 jobs and €350 million in income.

Meanwhile, the Conxemar-FAO-MAPA International Congress, which gathered more than 300 participants in its latest edition, serves as a key forum where institutional, scientific, and business representatives from around the world analyze the sector’s main challenges.

Services, communication, and society

The president also referred to the expansion of services offered to members, adapted to an increasingly complex environment, including areas such as sustainability, regulation, international trade, and market analysis.

He also highlighted the commitment to strengthening the sector’s connection with society: “Our future is not only decided in the markets—it is also shaped within society.” To this end, initiatives have been launched to promote the role of seafood in healthy and sustainable diets, alongside communication campaigns aimed at bringing frozen fish closer to consumers.

These initiatives have boosted the sector’s public visibility, with more than 3,800 media mentions and an advertising value equivalent to €50 million. At the same time, they have driven significant growth in Conxemar’s digital community, increasing Instagram followers eightfold and tripling audiences on TikTok and Facebook over the past two years.

García specifically highlighted the impact of the campaign featuring Leo Harlem, the first large-scale national campaign promoted by the sector to encourage seafood consumption. Following its strong results, the association has decided to continue the initiative with two additional waves to be launched throughout the year.

In addition, through the Fish Nation Foundation, actions are carried out to raise awareness about the nutritional benefits of fish and its role in a balanced diet, while promoting healthy and sustainable consumption habits among the population.

These efforts are complemented by projects such as Conxemar Lab, an educational initiative that welcomes more than 5,400 schoolchildren aged 7 to 11 and 360 teachers each year, aimed at increasing knowledge about seafood products, their nutritional benefits, and their role in a balanced diet.

A call for unity

The president concluded his speech by calling for unity as the sector’s main asset: “This is no coincidence. It is the result of years of joint work and the trust placed in a project that continues to grow.”

He closed with a direct message to members and attendees: “Behind every milestone, every figure, every achievement, there is something far more important: a team and an industry that generate employment, value, and future. You are Conxemar.”