(Brussels, Belgium) � The Honourable Tom Rideout, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, has been in Belgium and the Netherlands exploring the European seafood industry. Minister Rideout said, "It is certainly an eye-opening experience to view this large seafood market up close. There are many growing opportunities for the Newfoundland and Labrador seafood industry in this marketplace."

While in Europe, the minister attended the Ostend Fish Auction in Ostend, Belgium. This is one of the pre-eminent fish auctions in the world, just as Belgium is one of the most important seafood markets in the world. Approximately, 50 per cent of the fresh fish sold in Belgium is sold at this auction. Therefore, the auction provides opportunities for the export of bulk fish seafood products into the European market. There is a growing deficit for European Union (EU) domestic seafood supply and top Newfoundland and Labrador producers have made preliminary forays into the Ostend auction.

"The European Seafood market is clearly a very lucrative market on a global scale and it is extremely important for our province�s seafood producers to have opportunities to break into this marketplace. We now know the challenges and are focusing on solutions such as tariff relief and transportation options," said the minister.

The EU is made up of 25 countries, including approximately 450 million people. The EU marketplace has a strong preference for seafood and there is an inadequate supply at present.

The minister also visited a mussel centre in Yerseke, the Netherlands. The mussel centre is run through the Seafood Product Board and is responsible for the auction of mussels. Minister Rideout said, "The mussel centre is an excellent example of government and industry working together to create opportunities for industry and the economy as a whole."

The western European seafood market is one of the largest in the world. "Europe is facing a 30-40 million pound deficit in terms of mussel supply, and there are many opportunities for Newfoundland and Labrador to break into this lucrative seafood market. As well, there is much we can learn from the production side of the western European seafood industry," said the minister. "I look forward to working with industry in our own province to create the right conditions for future growth and development."

The minister expressed the importance of sending out the message that our province�s seafood industry can effectively compete in the global marketplace. "Developing innovative and effective ways to develop and market our province�s seafood products is an important part of government�s plan for growing the province�s seafood industry. It is critical that we effectively compete in the global marketplace and further establish our province�s seafood products as world class," said the minister.