Madrid, a city located 300 km away from the coastline, has the second largest fish market in the world (being the Tsukiji, Tokyo the first one). 132 million kg of fish are sold in the Spanish capital. According to estimates made by Ocean 2012 (group formed by various institutions that are reforming fishing policies to reduce overfishing), consumption of seafood in Spain is increasing annually by 15%, creating a fish supply deficit in the country. Fish stocks are a renewable resource, however fish is being extracted from Spanish waters faster than they can regenerate himself. As a result, 60% of the total catches are obtained outside territorial waters. This is a problem that afflicts not only Spain, but also occurs in other countries, so that overfishing is a major problem that is causing the alteration of various marine ecosystems worldwide.

 

The best fish in Spain can be found in Madrid's markets. This happens because seafood products reach Spanish ports where they are frozen, auctioned to suppliers and transported aerially or groundly to Madrid in less than 24 hours. In this way, local people in Madrid have a unique and close relationship with fish and seafood, which are essential ingredients in the kitchens of the city that never sees the sea.

 

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