The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands took part in POLFISH 2026 as an Honorary Patron. For the Embassy, the event provided an opportunity to meet representatives of the Polish fish industry, follow developments in the sector and strengthen contacts between Dutch and Polish businesses and institutions.
Beeld: © Photo by Karolína Balogová / Pexels
Market Scale
Poland’s fish-processing sector is an important part of the country’s food industry. Its strong position reflects substantial processing capacity and well-developed logistics. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, annual fish production in Poland exceeds 680,000 tonnes, with a value of EUR 4.33 billion. Poland’s aquaculture sector is also developing, producing around 50,000 tons of fish for human consumption annually, with sales exceeding EUR 185 million.
The importance of Poland’s fish-processing sector is also evident at the EU level. According to Bank Pekao, Poland ranked second in the EU in 2023 by the value of fish and seafood processing production, accounting for more than 14% of total EU production value. The sector is also a significant employer: almost 17% of people employed in fish processing across the EU worked in Poland in 2023.
The domestic processing industry has continued to grow. The value of sold production reached EUR 4.26 billion in 2024, more than 50% higher than in 2019. The sector has a particular specialization in salmon processing. In 2024, smoked salmon accounted for 39% of the value of Polish fish-processing production. Between 2019 and 2024, the value of smoked-salmon production increased by 90%, while its volume grew by 52%. Poland accounted for almost half of EU smoked-salmon production by volume, confirming its position as a major European processing hub.
Exports as a key driver
Poland’s fish industry is strongly exportoriented. Between 2020 and 2024, exports accounted for around 60% of sector revenues. In 2025, the share reached 68%. The value of Polish exports of fish and seafood amounted to EUR 3.41 billion in 2025, an increase of 7% compared with 2024.
Germany remained the largest foreign market. In 2025, it accounted for 44% of the value of Poland’s fish and seafood exports. Denmark recorded the largest nominal increase in export value, with Polish sales to the Danish market increasing by approximately EUR 93 million compared with 2024.
Salmon products were the main contributor to export growth in 2025. They accounted for 84% of the EUR 227 million increase in total export value compared with 2024. Exports to the United States also increased by 25% in 2025 compared with 2024, an increase of approximately EUR 32 million.
The export figures underline the international character of the Polish fish-processing industry.
Beeld: © Photo by Jakub Kapusnak / Unsplash
POLFISH 2026 - Fish Industry in Gdańsk
The international character of Poland’s fish industry was reflected at POLFISH 2026, the International Fish and Food Fair, held in Gdańsk at the AMBEREXPO exhibition center on 9-11 September 2026. The first edition of POLFISH was held in 1991, and the organizers describe the event as one of the five largest fish-industry fairs in Central and Eastern Europe.
The fair brings together companies and organizations from across the value chain, including fish producers and processors, importers, aquaculture businesses, technology and equipment suppliers, logistics companies, as well as businesses involved in the trade and distribution of fish products.
One of the important topics for the fish industry, also addressed during this year’s edition of POLFISH, is the availability of raw materials and the conditions under which they are sourced. In the case of Baltic fisheries, EU decisions on annual fishing opportunities play an important role. In 2026, Poland was allocated quotas of 24,033 tons of Central Baltic herring and 59,300 tons of sprat. The salmon quota for areas 22-31 was set at a level 27% lower than in 2025.
More information
The Netherlands Agricultural Network team at the Dutch Embassy stands ready to help any Dutch company interested in doing business with Poland.
For more information about this topic, please contact: war-lvvn@minbuza.nl.