Seafood Marketing and Networking Top Priorities at Boston Seafood Show

Once again this year, the provincial delegation to the Boston Seafood Show highlighted the province's seafood industry on a global stage. This year's delegation was led by the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

"The show was an excellent opportunity to meet with fishing and aquaculture industry representatives and promote Newfoundland and Labrador seafood products to the world," said Minister Jackman. "This is the preeminent seafood show in North America and it is always important to our province's seafood industry."

The industry maintains positive and effective business relationships in the Boston area which is a major distribution point for seafood products entering the United States. In addition, the US represents the single largest market for Newfoundland and Labrador seafood products.

While in Boston, Minister Jackman hosted the Newfoundland and Labrador reception which is the premier reception event of the weekend. Approximately 500 industry representatives from across the globe were in attendance. Seafood producers from this province provided high-quality seafood for the event.

"The Newfoundland and Labrador reception is an opportunity for the global seafood industry to sample our excellent products," said Minister Jackman. "The reception is also a great networking opportunity that our industry looks forward to each year. This year we were pleased to host the Honourable Gail Shea, federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, the Honourable Peter McKay, federal Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Keith Ashfield, federal Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. As well, the provincial reception hosted the Atlantic Canada fisheries and aquaculture ministers."

Minister Jackman also took the opportunity to meet one on one with a number of seafood processing and aquaculture producing firms.

"Our government puts a tremendous effort into the Boston Seafood Show every year and it is obvious that our industry reaps the rewards of that work," said Minister Jackman. "It was a pleasure to see Newfoundland and Labrador seafood products being so well promoted in one of the key seafood marketing destinations in the world."

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Media contact:
Lori Lee Oates
Director of Communications
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
709-729-3733, 690-8403
oatesll@gov.nl.ca 

2010 03 17                                                   10:25 a.m.