The Government of the Canary Islands has launched a new institutional campaign to promote the consumption of local fish among the young population, with the aim of reinforcing knowledge of the archipelago’s fish species and supporting the sustainability of the sector. The initiative, presented at a press conference by the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty, is committed to a language of familiarity, digital formats and messages adapted to the consumption habits of the new generations.
Under the slogan “Quítate la espinita y consumo pescado canario”, the campaign will run throughout the month of December on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Spotify, the channels with the greatest impact among young people.
Support for the fisheries sector and responsible consumption
During the presentation, Minister Narvay Quintero, accompanied by the Director General of Fisheries, Esteban Reyes, and the Director of the Canarian Institute of Agri-Food Quality (ICCA), Luis Arráez Guadalupe, stressed the importance of encouraging the consumption of local fish as a tool for guaranteeing the future of small-scale fishing and the coastal communities of the archipelago.
According to Quintero, this initiative also aims to raise awareness of the positive impact of purchasing decisions in the Canarian primary sector, as well as to overcome some of the barriers that hinder the consumption of fish products among young people, such as lack of knowledge of the species, their preparation or cooking at home.
Recovering flavours and connecting with the fishing tradition
The Director General of Fisheries, Esteban Reyes, stressed that one of the main objectives of the campaign is to reconnect the young population with the Canarian fishing tradition, in a context where, despite the growing interest in healthy eating, fish consumption continues to fall.
Reyes pointed out that many young people are unaware of the most common species of the Canarian seas or do not know how to order them at the point of sale or how to cook them in a simple way. For this reason, the campaign emphasises easy, quick and accessible recipes, adapted to current lifestyles, a line of work that will be reinforced with new actions planned for 2026.
Digital creativity and local species as protagonists
The campaign is aimed at young people between the ages of 18 and 35 and will run from 3 to 23 December, using visual creatives and lighthearted messages featuring local species such as wreckfish, old wreckfish, moray eels, tuna, alfonsiño or sama roquera.
With slogans such as “this is not just a fish”, “sama roquera” or “¡baila morena!”, the initiative seeks to highlight the quality, Canary Island origin, nutritional benefits, flavour and culinary versatility of the local fish, bringing it closer to the language and codes of the young public.
Consumer data reinforcing the need for the campaign
During the event, recent data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food were released, which reflect a continued decline in the consumption of fishery products. In 2024, per capita consumption in Spain stood at 17.99 kilos per person, 4.9% less than the previous year.
The report also reveals that the under 35s are the group that consumes the least amount of fish, with only 7.19 kilos per year, and that the Canary Islands have the lowest intake of seafood products in the country, 13.34% below the national average.
The Ecolocal Advent Calendar reinforces the commitment to local produce
As part of the presentation, the ICCA also unveiled the Ecolocal Advent Calendar, a social media initiative to promote agro-ecological production in the Canary Islands. From 1 to 24 December, daily raffles will be held via the Instagram profile @ecolocal.canarias, in collaboration with 24 companies in the sector.
The prizes include baskets of organic products, gastronomic experiences, nutrition workshops, visits to organic farms and stays in rural hotels, all linked to companies committed to sustainability and responsible consumption.
The director of the ICCA, Luis Arráez Guadalupe, pointed out that December is a key month for raising awareness of the value of local organic products, highlighting the work of the more than 4,500 certified people who form part of the Canary Islands organic sector and their contribution to a healthy and environmentally friendly diet.
