Understanding how local public policies influence blue food systems. The case of Barcelona

Cities are increasingly important actors in food governance, yet their role in blue food systems remains poorly understood, particularly because they generally lack authority over fisheries management. This study examines how municipal policies shaped Barcelona’s blue food system between 1940 and 2023 and asks how local governments influence seafood provisioning through powers exercised beyond production. We combine long-term official statistics, archival and legal analysis, and semi-structured interviews within a historical PESTEL framework. The findings reveal a transition from direct market intervention to infrastructural governance. During the mid-twentieth century, municipal price controls, centralized distribution rules, and investments in wholesale and public retail markets structured seafood flows and reinforced the position of local fishmongers. Subsequent economic liberalization, European integration, technological change, and the relocation of the central wholesale market reduced direct municipal control while facilitating Barcelona’s integration into global seafood networks. At the same time, ecological decline in local fisheries weakened the connection between urban consumption and surrounding marine ecosystems and contributed to the marginalization of the city’s fishing community. Nevertheless, Barcelona’s continuing network of municipal food markets has helped preserve a comparatively strong role for fishmongers and access to fresh seafood. The case demonstrates that cities shape blue food systems not primarily by managing fisheries or regulating prices, but through long-term decisions about markets, logistics, spatial planning, and retail infrastructure. Such decisions can preserve urban food access while simultaneously reinforcing dependence on distant ecosystems and redistributing benefits and vulnerabilities across seafood supply chains.