Norway is the largest exporter of fish and seafood in Europe, holding a dominant position in both capture and aquaculture output, including being a primary supplier of salmon. Among EU member states, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, and Germany are the leading exporters.
Europe produces 5.1 Mt/year of fishes. The case study on aquaculture and fisheries will be held by NORCE in Norway which is the largest aquaculture producer in Europe and has an existing system of food loss accounting.
The UK's trade gap (imports minus exports) in 2023 for sea fish was 274 thousand tonnes. The UK is a net importer of fish, with a higher volume of fish imported than exported. In 2023 the UK imported 611 thousand tonnes of fish [26], with a value of £3.5 billion. It exported 336 thousand tonnes.
" Between 2017 and 2021, the 5 most exported types of goods between EU countries were motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, chemicals and chemical products, computer, electronic and optical products, machinery and equipment n.e.c. and food products. "
Sea Foods Top Import And Export Countries In The International Market
Who are the big 3 in Europe?
The "Big Three" of Europe generally refers to France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (UK), especially in foreign policy and security, forming the informal "E3" for major diplomatic initiatives like Iran nuclear talks. Within the EU, the trio often includes France, Germany, and Italy due to their combined economic power and founding roles, though the UK was part of the grouping before Brexit, while France, Germany, Italy, and the UK are collectively called the "Big Four".
Thousands of tonnes of Russian whitefish worth an estimated £100 million are entering the UK market each year, despite sanctions aimed at curtailing trade with Moscow, through legal loopholes involving processing in third countries.
China is the ruler of the world's largest fish producer. This Panda country leaves far away from its competitors, including India with a distance of six times more. With a total global fish production of 178.8 million tons, one-third of the world's fish production comes from China.
According to data collected by the World Population Review, the population of China consumes a whopping 60,541 tons of the stuff annually -- putting it at a major lead ahead of the second-most seafood loving nation, India, which consumes 12,554 tons of seafood each year.
The UK now imports more than six times as much seafood as in 1900, and it comes from over 2,000 miles away on average – with China the largest source. Today, an estimated 80% of UK seafood demand is met by imports from overseas fisheries.
Too many bones (36 percent), too expensive (29 percent), not sure they'll like it (26 percent), and not knowing how to prepare it (23 percent) are the main reasons we stick to what we know. Shockingly, 43 percent of Brits admit they ONLY eat fish if it is in batter or breadcrumbs.
Whether the EU is better off without the UK is complex, with viewpoints suggesting both potential benefits (like less internal obstruction) and drawbacks (loss of military/diplomatic power) for the EU, while recent polls indicate most Europeans feel the EU isn't necessarily better off and many wish Britain would rejoin, viewing Brexit as a mistake for the UK and the bloc. The EU lost a major military and diplomatic power but gained potential for deeper integration without the UK as a frequent objector to certain policies, though the economic impact on the EU is less severe than on the UK, with many Europeans seeing little change or a negative impact on the EU's economy.
For non-farmed fish in the UK, look for wild-caught options like mackerel, sardines, herring, hake, coley, and sustainable cod or haddock, often certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), with suppliers like Leap Wild Fish, Eversfield Organic, and The Fish Society offering choices like wild salmon, Dover sole, and shellfish, ensuring healthier choices with less fat and contaminants than many farmed varieties.
Total trade in goods and services (exports plus imports) between the UK and Russia was £1.7 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q2 2025, a decrease of 12.9% or £254 million in current prices from the four quarters to the end of Q2 2024.
Haddock and cod, often in close proximity to one another, are both found in the North Atlantic with two separate populations of the same species; the first in the north east around Britain, Iceland and Norway (spilling round into Russian waters) and the second north west off Canada and New England.
The European Group of Five (E5) in the European Union is an unofficial group of five European states —France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain with the largest populations and thus with the majority of votes in the Council of the European Union.
E3. During the period following the accession of the United Kingdom to the European Communities in 1973 and prior to Brexit in 2020, the terms EU3 or E3 were commonly used to describe the three largest economies of the European Union: France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
