Romanians buy more fish, but consumption still low compared to other countries

The local market for fish and seafood increased by 3% last year reaching EUR 350 million, according to a study by Romfood Trading, which is one of the biggest importers and distributors of fish and seafood in Romania. Romania’s market for fish and seafood has been on an upward trend in the last three years. The best-selling fish in Romania, in terms of volume, is mackerel. However, salmon ranks first in terms of sales value. Romanians are still not big fans of fish, and they are far behind Spaniards, French, and Italians in terms of fish consumption per capita, said Cristian Darmanescu, Romfood Trading GM. However, the market’s steady growth is a good sign. Last years’ wage increases as well as the drop in the VAT rate have boosted consumption in general and the consumption of fish and seafood in particular. The fish market still lags behind the chicken and pork market in volume, but it’s close to them based on value as fish is more expensive. How much fish do Romanians eat? editor@romania-insider.com