ANMAPE is an association that represents 400 companies in the network of Spanish wholesale markets (or mercas). On this occasion, it has assigned the task of organising the congress to the Fresh and Frozen Fish and Seafood Wholesale Consignees’ Guild of Barcelona and Province (GMP), to commemorate the Central Fish Market’s 25th anniversary at Mercabarna.

The main aims of this major gathering are to promote central fish markets, enable the different wholesale market representatives to swap experiences, boost fish and seafood consumption and familiarise the public with the job done by the wholesale sector.

In-depth analysis of the wholesale sector
Elena Espinosa, Spanish minister of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs, will chair the congress which, on its first day, will feature papers by Jordi Maymó, former managing director of Mercabarna; Antonio Manzano, managing director of Frimercat; Leandre Serra, chair of the Fresh and Frozen Fish and Seafood Wholesalers Guild of Barcelona and Province; Roger Gaspa, director of Industry, Trade and Distribution for the Cerdà Institute; and José Luís Nueno, professor at the IESE business school. Their joint objective will be to analyse the situation of the wholesale sector and the consumption of fishery products.
In the afternoon, four discussion groups will address different topics of sector interest.

Visit to Mercabarna
Day Two will get under way with a visit to the facilities of Mercabarna’s Central Fish Market. Different talks will then be given by Ignacio Cruz Roche, chair of Mercasa; Juan Ignacio Gandarias, managing director of Fishery Structures and Markets; Alejandro Goñi, chair of the trade organisation PIMEC Comercio; Manuel Pablos, chair of ANMAPE, and others. The purpose will be to analyse fish marketing, customer-supplier relations, the effect of climate change on fishery products, distribution across the Mercasa network and so on.