The campaign "Quítate la espinita y consume pescado canario" (Get rid of your little thorn and eat Canarian fish) to promote fish consumption among the young population of the archipelago and foster knowledge of local species, has been presented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty of the Government of the Canary Islands.
During the press conference, the minister **Narvay Quintero**, accompanied by the Director General of Fisheries, Esteban Reyes, and the Director of the ICCA, Luis Arráez Guadalupe, highlighted that "incentivizing the commitment to fish from our seas among young people is a way to **guarantee the future of our coastal communities** and of an artisanal activity that feeds us and, through its traditional capture methods, ensures respect for and conservation of the marine environment".
“We also aim to raise awareness about the importance of the positive impact that their purchasing decisions have on the agricultural and fishing sector of the islands and for this group to overcome some obstacles that hinder the consumption of these products,” he added.
For his part, the Director General of Fisheries emphasized that "this initiative seeks to recover flavors that **connect young people with our fishing tradition** since, despite the growing concern for our health and the recognition that these are healthy products, they often do not know which are the most common species in the archipelago, they do not know how to ask for them to be prepared or how to cook them at home, in a context where our fast-paced life forces us to opt for quick and simple preparations and to eat out.""It is possible to enjoy fish through easy-to-prepare recipes that do not require much time or many ingredients, and we want to delve into this matter through other actions planned for 2026," he added
This campaign, aimed at young people between 18 and 35 years old, will run until December 23 on the social media platforms most consumed by this group (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Spotify) through creative content featuring local fish species such as wreckfish, parrotfish, moray eel, tuna, alfonsino, and rock seabream
It will use slogans such as "this is no mere fish," "the rock sea bream is very feisty," "dance, dark beauty!" or "we love you, old lady," which aim to highlight the richness of fish production, its quality, its Canarian origin, its health benefits, flavor, and also its easy preparation.
During the event, data from a report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) was also presented, showing that the per capita consumption of fishery products in Spain at the close of 2024 stood at 17.99 kilos per person, an amount lower by almost one kilo (0.93 kilos per person per study period) compared to the previous year, meaning a 4.9% decrease from 2023.
Thus, individuals under 35 years of age are the group that consumes the least seafood, with only 7.19 kilos per year, far from the national average of 17.99 kilos. Furthermore, residents in the Canary Islands registered the lowest intake of seafood in 2024, 13.34% below the national average, equivalent to less than 4.65 kilos per person.