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STAYING AHEAD IN CHALLENGING TIMES
Companies selling
every species of seafood, prepare to attend the European Seafood
Exposition in Brussels, Belgium. Organised jointly with Seafood
Processing Europe, ESE / SPE is the largest gathering for
the seafood industry worldwide. Strategic development plans
and tactics to cope with ever changing rules and regulations
take shape as sellers and buyers convene in the backyard of
the European policy making unit.
New resources
From the first edition in 1993, the European Seafood Exposition, later followed by Seafood Processing Europe, grew to be the world's leading event for the seafood industry, hosting over 1,400 exhibiting companies and attracting well over 17,000 buyers from all over the world. Today's European Seafood Exposition is both a showcase for new technologies, new seafood products and new seafood exporting countries, and as a unique opportunity for the global seafood industry to come together and discuss industry matters.
"The European Seafood Exposition and Seafood Processing Europe represent an important purchasing power" says show manager Mary Larkin. "Actually, the median purchasing budget per visiting company amounts to 4.5 million euro. This makes the show of particular interest for sellers and buyers alike. One of the major advantages of ESE is that it attracts decision makers from both around the globe and across the seafood industry. If a new product needs to find its way to new markets really fast, this show is one of the main vectors."
Busy place
In Europe, the seas are likely to become
even busier places than ever before. Over 90% of the European
Union's trade transits over sea. And although the number of
fishing vessel has decreased dramatically over the last decade
- and continues to do so - there are predominantly 'new' sea
bound activities that will boost maritime traffic: sea ranching,
offshore fish farming and the development of renewable energy
sources will affect maritime transport and navigational routes.
Advisory boards like the Conference of Peripheral Maritime
Regions of Europe (CPMR) have developed the concept of maritime
highways that should limit traffic in sensitive areas and
concentrate it on navigational routes that avoid live stock.
The concept, however, is based on a totally different approach
of maritime regions. CPMR's Europe of the Seas counts six
transnational maritime basins: the Atlantic, the Baltic Sea,
the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Balkans - Black
Sea, the Isles. Each of these basins is to be managed as a
whole and in respect of the others' development strategies.
In fact, CPMR wants to take its model even on larger scale:
the Europe of the Seas should become the gateway to a worldwide
integrated maritime policy.
European Seafood Exposition / Seafood Processing Europe 2007.
As the world's largest gathering for professionals from the
global seafood industry, ESE / SPE serves as an important
platform for the exchange of innovative ideas that can help
the industry tackle current and future restrictions. Over
the last decade, aquaculture has grown impressively throughout
the European Union, reaching a total production of 1.4 billion
tons in 2005, representing a value of over 3 billion euros.
Worldwide, aquaculture provides over 30% of total fish supplies.
Yet, efficient farm management, a larger variety of species,
alternative techniques (such as capture based fish farming
and mariculture) and better marketing have been identified
as priorities by the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation.
Important industry events like ESE / SPE are pivotal in accelerating
the innovation pace, integrating new technologies and bringing
new species to new markets.
Many regions are only just beginning
to see aquaculture and mariculture as an investment-induced
industry, capable of growing beyond subsistence levels and
generating important economic returns. In many cases, lack
of economic incentive blocked aquaculture's development. "Over
the next 15 years, fish production needs to increase with
one third to maintain the pro capita consumption", says Ichiro
Nomura, head of FAO's Fisheries Department. "This will require
boosting investment in fisheries and aquaculture and an international
cooperation to optimise techniques in a sustainable way. Bringing
all local and regional experiences together on an international
stage improves the market performances of 'new' seafood producing
countries."
Long term
The annual setting of total allowable catches and quotas has
not helped to rebuild stocks that were in danger of collapse.
The European Commission and the European Fisheries Ministers
seem to be aware of the unwanted effects and are currently
developing a Common Fisheries Policy that looks further ahead,
rather than focusing on annual measures. The new approach
will be based on two types of multi-annual plans: recovery
plans to help rebuild depleted stocks and management plans
for stocks which are at safe biological levels, in order to
ensure that they stay that way.
As a result, TACs and quotas for stocks
are no longer determined, under tight deadlines, at the end
of the year. Instead, they are preceded by extensive scientific
advice and will cover several years in a row, thus giving
the involved fisheries more stability and medium term perspectives.
Diversified Communications
The European Seafood Exposition and
Seafood Processing Europe are organised by Diversified Business
Communications, a Portland, Maine based family-owned business
that started over 50 years ago as a radio station. Currently,
Diversified Business Communications produces dozens of trade
shows all over the world and has a vast portfolio of specialised
publications. Diversified choose the Belgian capital Brussels
as a venue for their European development because of the city's
ease of access from anywhere in Europe and abroad. The exhibitions
venue Brussels Expo is located near the international airport
and the city centre.
Above all, Brussels is the capital
of the European Union, representing a 450 million capita market.
The city has the highest concentration of official delegations
in the world and hosts the headquarters of countless international
organisations. As the main policy and decision making centre,
Brussels is the place where the future of the European seafood
industry is taking shape. The Common Fisheries Policy of the
European Commission and the ongoing debate on how to balance
ecological priorities and economic liveability make Brussels
the very focal point of the European seafood industry.
As a main business tourism destination,
Brussels offers accommodation for all tastes and budgets.
But what makes a stay in Brussels a truly unique experience
is the Belgian cuisine. Exhibitors and visitors can discover
the creativity of Belgian and foreign chefs in over 1,500
restaurants all over the city.
© International Trade Publications –
April 2005
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