Fishing industry in Portugal

Fishing is a major economic activity in Portugal. The country has a long tradition in the sector, and is among the countries in the world with the highest fish consumption per capita. Roman ruins of fish processing facilities have been found across the Portuguese coast. Fish has been an important staple for the entire Portuguese population since, at least, the Portuguese Age of Discovery.

The Portuguese fishing sector is divided into various subsectors, which in turn are divided between industrial fishing and artisanal fishing. As of 2023, artisanal fishers made up about 33% of the workforce, but nearly 75% of the fleet. There are a variety of trade unions and employers' organisations representing sectoral and regional interests.

Portugal's Exclusive Economic Zone, a sea zone over which the Portuguese have special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, is 1,727,408 km (666,956 square miles). This is the third-largest Exclusive Economic Zone of the European Union and the twentieth-largest in the world.

Both freshwater and marine aquaculture is well-established in Portugal, from marine fin-fish and shellfish to micro-algae and trout.