Conxemar president says "I don't believe in flags," denies decline in Spanish fish consumption and responds to controversy over Argentine squid entering via Spain
In an exclusive interview, Eloy Alvariza García, president of Conxemar, the Spanish association of seafood processors and traders, insisted that Spain has not reduced its fish consumption—only changed how it consumes—and argued for changing the statistical methodology. He also responded to the controversy over Illex argentinus squid caught outside Argentina's 201-mile limit entering via Spain and the CATCH traceability system.
Eloy Alvariza García, president of Conxemar, the Spanish association of seafood processors and traders, reiterated in an exclusive interview with Argentina's Revista Puerto in October that Spain has not reduced its fish consumption—the problem lies in "how it is measured." These remarks directly conflict with the conclusions of multiple experts at the FAO-MAPA conference organized by Conxemar itself.
According to the October 13 report by Revista Puerto, Alvariza said in the interview that consumption habits have changed and will not return to the past: grandparents would buy a whole hake and prepare it at home, whereas today's consumers aged 30 to 40 with children lack the time and buy hake fillets directly at supermarkets or retail outlets. "A kilo of whole hake—what you take home is two 200-gram fillets." On this basis, he argued that consumption has not declined, only the manner has changed, and cited the scale of the trade fair (feria) as evidence that "fish is still being consumed in large quantities."
When asked about the declining consumption trend persisting since 2022 and experts confirming the decline at the FAO-MAPA conference organized by Conxemar, Alvariza did not directly address this rebuttal, instead reiterating that the solution lies in changing the measurement method. He said Conxemar is pushing to "change this indicator, change the measurement method," hoping to truly measure fish consumption as well as fourth- and fifth-generation (i.e., prepared and pre-cooked) products manufactured by companies. He listed the association's actions to promote consumption: Conxemar Lab bringing Galician schoolchildren to visit the supply chain and make fish themselves; a newly established partnership with Celta de Vigo football club targeting young people; and research since 2023 with the Spanish Heart Foundation and Vihtas (university hospital) on the health effects of fish consumption. He said some data already show a significant difference between fish eaters and non-fish eaters, but it is not yet certain whether this difference is because meat is more pro-inflammatory or because fish reduces inflammation, confirming that "the results are not out yet."
The report noted that Conxemar's position contradicts the views of experts the association itself invited to the FAO-MAPA conference: despite efforts in schools, food service and health, young Spaniards still do not choose fish as a protein option. María Neira, an international public health expert and Spain's nominee for WHO Director-General, said at the close of the conference that "the communication approach is wrong." On Tuesday, October 6, the assessment circulating among those who have attended the FAO conference multiple times was that "the level has dropped a lot, nothing was discussed," and although top guests discussed the consumption decline, the introduction of artificial intelligence and questioned international market rules, the roundtable discussions left no room for depth. An Argentine chamber of commerce manager remarked sarcastically: "When you don't want to talk about something, you talk about nothing."
On trade rules, Alvariza said Conxemar demands that "everyone play by the same rules": within the EU there are strict environmental, labor and tax requirements, while other countries outside the EU with looser relations sell products into the EU, creating a competitive disadvantage, so "mirror clauses" are typically sought in various agreements, along with labeling rules and consumer information that is truthful and consistent with the safety standards the EU requires of local producers.
Regarding Illex argentinus squid caught outside Argentina's 201-mile limit (Milla 201) entering via Spain, Alvariza said the CATCH system is implementing traceability measures from the source. He said the fleet in that area basically comes from a country that also has a huge domestic market, and stressed the need to distinguish "pota" (Argentine squid) from other squid, because Spanish has far richer descriptions of marine species than English. He mentioned that a non-governmental organization recently launched a campaign in Spain, erecting a giant poster in front of the Ministry of Agriculture in Madrid (Atocha) claiming that the squid sandwiches Madrid residents eat are produced under slave labor, citing labor conditions of the Chinese fleet outside the 201-mile limit. Alvariza called the accusation unfair: not a single Spanish vessel fishes there, and what is caught there is pota, not calamar (squid).
When the Revista Puerto reporter pointed out that an EU report lists Spain as a gateway for squid, particularly Illex argentinus caught by the Chinese fleet outside the 201-mile limit, the report said the interview was abruptly cut off when the Malvinas (Falklands) issue was raised.
The report also noted that the only visible change in the Conxemar president compared with last year is formal: he reordered his surnames, putting his mother's surname first, and now calls himself Eloy Alvariza García; the arguments he gave to the media remain the same as before—the frozen industry no longer sells only health, but time; it is not that people eat less fish, but that fourth- and fifth-generation products with other ingredients have replaced fish's share.