It is healthy, environmentally sustainable and, if in season, can be found at quite reasonable prices. And what’s more, it can be cooked in simple ways. He local fishwhich is caught on the Catalan coast, is not fashionable, unlike other species such as the salmonhe octopus or the tuna, which in recent years have experienced an increase in sales, driven, in some cases, by the rise of oriental cuisines. “The problem is that fish continues to be perceived by consumers as a luxury foodwhen it is not, and we must also demystify the belief that cooking it is laborious,” says the Deputy Director General of Fisheries of the Generalitat, Itziar Segarra.
Consumption in Catalan homes has registered a continued decline since 2008. In the last decade alone, consumption has gone from 27 kilos of fish per person per year to 18 kilos. The fall has been especially important in the last three years, with a 25% decrease in sales. “This has not only happened in Catalonia,” says Segarra, “but it is something that affects Spain and Europe as a whole.” The main cause points to the escalation of inflationin a product that, to make matters worse, has not been included in the VAT reduction on food.
But in addition, to the barrier that the price represents, there has also been added a change of habits and routines in families, which increasingly dedicate less time to cook, and the almost non-existent presence of this food among the younger population. “We talk a lot about the fact that there is no generational relief in the fishermen’s union, but what we are observing is that there is no generational change among consumers either,” adds the deputy director of Fisheries of the Generalitat. “It is true that the fact that fish has bones puts back some families, but we also have to teach children how to eat and know how to remove them,” he emphasizes.
Every year more than 200 different species of fish and seafood, but on average consumers only know a maximum of five. The consumer also admits that in general they always buy the same types of fish. Proof of this is that in 2022, 67.4 tons of fresh fish were consumed in Catalonia, of which hake and the salmon They represented 16% each; he cod and the golden 8% respectively; he anchovy 7%, and 6% the Bass. These six species alone, mostly caught outside Catalonia, accounted for more than 61% in total volume of the fish consumed.
These are some of the species that are fished in Catalonia and that are very unknown to consumers:
. 🐠 Melva and beautiful. They are mainly found in the fish markets of Roses, Palamós and Arenys de Mar.
. 🦑 Cartridge belt. Regular in Ràpita, L’Ametlla de Mar and Cambrils.
. 🦐 white shrimp. It is mainly concentrated in L’Ametlla de Mar and the markets around it.
. 🐙 White octopus. Abundant along the entire coast but mainly from Vilanova i la Geltrú to Les Cases de Alcanar.
. 🐟 Anchovy. Distributed along the coast but especially emblematic in the fish markets of L’Escala and Blanes.
Generalitat campaign
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To promote the consumption of local “or mile zero” products and demonstrate to citizens that eating fish does not require great culinary skills, the Department of Climate Action and Food This December, it has launched a campaign to promote local fish. The strong point of the advertising action, titled as ‘Pim, pam, peix’, It is precisely the great possibilities that fish has on the table.
But it also affects prices. When buying fish, the campaign promoters remember, it is important to know what the best time for each species, since that is when they are more affordable, since they are more abundant. For example, at this time of year, the cartridge belt At the market it costs 4.2 euros per kilo and white octopus It is at 4.80, prices much lower than the average 7.58 euros of other more popular cephalopods such as rock octopus, squid or cuttlefish. Likewise, the mackerel It now has a market price of 2.14 euros per kilo, making it more affordable than similar species, such as tuna and bonito, with a price of 6.97 euros. The blue whitinghe white bream wave vogue They also have much more advantageous prices.