Growing International Markets Focus of European Seafood Exposition

The Provincial Government will once again participate in the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels, Belgium, from May 3 to 5. This is the world’s largest seafood trade show and offers an excellent venue to promote the province’s fishing industry to global buyers and stakeholders. The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, in partnership with provincial seafood companies, will be exhibiting at the Government of Canada pavilion again this year.

“The European Seafood Exposition is an amazing opportunity for us as a province to showcase our seafood products and promote our fishing industry,” said the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. “Growing the markets for Newfoundland and Labrador’s seafood products will be our focus again this year. There are attendees from all over the world looking for high quality, sustainably harvested products and our province has that in abundance. This is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate our competitiveness to global seafood markets.”

All major seafood buyers attend the European Seafood Exposition and purchasing decisions can be made at the exhibition. In 2010, the show attracted approximately 24,000 attendees from 1,600 companies and 140 countries. It is a very successful event for both buyers and sellers. Statistics show that at the last European Seafood Exposition, approximately 80 per cent of visitors found new products and suppliers and 80 per cent planned on purchasing products or services as a result of their participation in the show.

Minister Jackman will also be attending other events in conjunction with the exposition, including the Canadian reception and an industry event at the Canadian Ambassador’s official residence.

“We understand that buyers from Australia, Japan, Scotland and the United Kingdom are attending the European Seafood Exhibition this year,” said Minister Jackman. “There is a lot of potential to reach currently untapped markets at this event. My department looks forward to participating in the expo along with the representatives from our provincial seafood processing sector. It is a very important event for our industry that will open up opportunities for our province in international seafood markets.”

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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 
2011 05 03                                                                       2:10 p.m.