Poland maintains a strong export and processing position within the European Union; however, pressure is simultaneously growing due to new legal requirements, raw material origin control, and sustainability standards. This is a good time to assess where Polish companies are gaining an advantage and where they need to invest in compliance and modernisation.
Poland is one of the most important players in European fish processing, and the sector's significance is clearly visible in its foreign trade. The value of Polish exports of processed meat, fish, and seafood amounted to approximately in 2024. £3.58 billion, which shows that the sector remains strongly focused on foreign markets and is steadily building its position in the EU. At the same time, the turnover of the fish and seafood processing sector in Poland reached approximately. 4.05 billion EUR in 2023, and the forecast for 2026 suggests an increase to 4.53 billion EUR. This means we are talking about a market that is not only maintaining its scale but is continuing to grow.
Another key advantage for Polish companies is their production infrastructure. In 2024, POLFISH was present at 90 exhibitors from 9 countries, which well reflects the international nature of the market and shows that Poland is an important contact point for companies from Europe. For foreign partners, this is a signal that the sector is developed enough to conduct regular business here, and not just test the market.
Exports remain one of the main drivers of development in the Polish fishing industry. High price competitiveness, efficient processing, and experience in handling large orders mean that Polish companies are present in many supply chains in the European market. In practice, this means that companies must meet not only price expectations but also increasingly stringent standards related to traceability, food safety, and raw material documentation.
The market scale also confirms that this is not a niche, but an important segment of the economy. If an industry generates billions in revenue and simultaneously maintains strong exports, any regulatory change has a real impact on costs, margins, and purchasing planning. From a business perspective, this means that cost advantage is increasingly giving way to organisational and qualitative advantage.
Alongside a strong market position, regulatory pressure is increasing. The European Union is consistently tightening requirements for the fishing sector, from fishing rules to origin control and reporting. An example of this is the decisions regarding fishing opportunities for 2026, which in practice affect raw material availability, prices, and the purchasing planning model throughout the supply chain.
For the Baltic Sea, the decisions for 2026 show how much regulation impacts business. Poland has obtained, among other things,. 24,033 tonnes of herring in the central Baltic Sea and 59,300 tonnes of sprats, but at the same time the limit for salmon in area 22–31 fell by 27 percent. This means that some companies will gain access to important mass-market species, while the premium segment will continue to operate under pressure from limited supply.
Another important area is sustainable development. Consumers in Europe increasingly expect not only a high-quality product but also proof that it has been sourced and processed responsibly. This is no longer solely a public relations issue – it is a real condition for cooperation with larger contractors, retail chains, and export partners.
For Polish companies, this means they will need to do a better job of talking about their practices and proving them with hard data. It's not just the declaration that counts, but also the verifiability of the process. In the long run, this could be the deciding factor in gaining access to the most demanding clients and sales networks.
Despite increasing demands, Poland still has several distinct advantages. Firstly, it has a mature manufacturing sector with experience in serving large clients. Secondly, Polish companies have a good understanding of Western European market expectations, which facilitates export growth. Thirdly, the industry demonstrates a high capacity for adaptation, which is becoming one of the most valuable assets in times of regulatory change.
It is also worth stressing that the Polish fishing sector is increasingly seen not as a provider of simple processing services, but as a partner offering complete solutions: from raw material, through processing, to logistics and the finished product. This shifts the focus from production itself to full business support.
The coming years will be a time of selection. Companies that combine cost-effectiveness with a high level of compliance and transparency will gain. It will be more difficult for those entities that rely solely on production scale, without investing in processes and management quality.
That is precisely why POLFISH remains a key forum for discussing the future of the industry. It is here, during business meetings and On the Debate Stage, the sector's most important challenges can be discussed: from regulations and raw materials, to the modernisation and competitiveness of Polish companies on the EU market.
For entrepreneurs looking to grow their businesses in line with the new realities, the most important thing today is to combine market knowledge, business contacts and an awareness of legal changes. POLFISH provides a space for all these discussions in one place, which is why it plays a vital role not only as a trade fair, but also as a platform for the industry to share experiences.
In a world of increasing regulatory pressure, those who can operate faster, cleaner, and more transparently have the advantage. The Polish fishing industry has solid foundations for this – now it will be crucial to consistently strengthen them.
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