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Fisheries and Aquaculture
May 13, 2011

Minister Reports on International Seafood Marketing Efforts in Brussels

The European Seafood Exhibition has once again proven to be an excellent venue for participants from Newfoundland and Labrador to strengthen existing export relationships and build new ones while looking to the future. The Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, recently led a provincial delegation to the annual event held in Brussels, Belgium.

“The European Seafood Exhibition is the premier event for those wishing to access or expand their seafood presence in Europe,” said Minister Jackman. “The future of our province’s seafood producing sector is critically dependent on maintaining and growing export markets and the exposition provides an excellent venue for achieving this.”

The exhibition is the largest seafood show in the world and it is estimated that approximately 24,000 visitors from 140 countries attended this year. The Newfoundland and Labrador delegation exhibited at the Canadian pavilion. The provincial seafood booth distributed information on all provincial seafood producing companies. The Provincial Government also jointly hosted a networking reception with the Federal Government and other provincial governments for industry participants who attended the exhibition.

At present, a comprehensive economic trade agreement is being negotiated between Canada and the European Union. An important consideration as part of those negotiations is tariffs on Canadian seafood products going into Europe.

“Our government has taken a two-pronged approach to growing sales of provincial seafood products in the important European marketplace,” said Minister Jackman. “We are continuing our marketing efforts while working toward reducing the European tariffs that are currently an impediment to growth. We have had great success to date with temporary gains in reducing tariffs on Canadian shrimp and will continue to seek more permanent solutions. However, we must maintain our relationships in Brussels in order to continue with this strategic approach to growing our market share in Europe. Participation in the European Seafood Exhibition provides us with an excellent venue to do this.”

Approximately 90 per cent of the seafood products from Newfoundland and Labrador’s fishing and aquaculture industries are exported internationally to more than 50 different countries.

“Marketing of Newfoundland and Labrador seafood products has been identified as a priority by the province’s fishing industry since the development of the Fishing Industry Renewal Strategy in 2007,” said Minister Jackman. “For this reason, my department has assessed the best value for our provincial seafood marketing budget and decided to focus on trade shows in key strategic locations. These shows put our seafood producers in touch with both important existing export partners and areas of growth within the global seafood purchasing sector. Participation in events such as the Brussels Seafood Exhibition is critical to facilitating future industry growth.”

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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 13                                                                            11:05 a.m.

 
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