The fish and seafood market - Italy

The fish market covers the consumption and distribution of fish and seafood. Fish consumption is increasing sharply worldwide, with growth in production on the one hand, followed by increasing consumption-mostly dictated by the development of ethnic cuisines and growing awareness of the benefits of fish-but also due to other factors such as improved distribution channels. Italy ranks first among European countries where the most fish is eaten. In Italy, the fish market presents a fairly competitive scenario, counting numerous players within the entire supply chain. The situation is complicated by taking into account that Italy is a strong importer of fish, consequently the sales trend is in close dependence on the trend of landings in the territory, which witnessed a sharp decline in 2017 both in volume and value. In addition, the value chain appears uneven on the production side, while distribution seems to be oriented toward large-scale retail or local markets. Projections of market evolution are influenced by the increasing focus on health and sustainability on the consumer side and the progressive impact of innovation and technology on the supply side.