The 30th edition of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global will unveil an extensive conference program tackling key challenges and opportunities in the seafood industry. Set to occur from 23-25 April at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via venue, the event will showcase over 25 educational sessions across three days. The program will explore key topics including traceability, sustainability, aquaculture and aquaculture equipment, labor issues, feed and feed innovation, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in the industry and more.
The program features over 90 international industry experts, ranging from seafood professionals and policymakers to entrepreneurs, NGO representatives, and specialists in biodiversity and sustainability. Mark Blyth, The William R. Rhodes ’57 Professor of International Economics, The Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University, will deliver this year’s keynote address “The Outlook for 2025 and Beyond: American Tariffs, European Stagnation, and Asian Resilience,” on Wednesday, 24 April at 12:00. The global economist will address short-, medium-, and long-term topics of relevance to the global seafood community – from the November 2024 U.S. election to inflation to decarbonization of the economy in different regions of the world.
Labor rights, traceability, climate change and artificial intelligence (AI) are among this year’s leading topics
The first day of the event will include a conference session featuring panelists from the U.S. Department of Labor, International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and more to discuss the growing global awareness of worker abuse in fishing. Titled “The Catch in Your Catch: Practical Guidance On Keeping Labor Abuse Out of Your Seafood,” the session will spotlight governmental and stakeholders’ actions on labor violations and will offer ways for the industry to mitigate risks through traceability, transparency, and enforceability.
On Wednesday (24 April), the panel “Climate Change Challenges in Small-Scale Fisheries and Which Modern Climate-Friendly Innovation(s) Can Industry Provide to Support These Fisheries” will feature industry professionals from International Pole and Line Foundation (IPNLF), Marks and Spencer and NUSATUNA. In this session, panelists will take a closer look at proposed carbon emission reduction from the fisheries’ level and through the supply chain with market partners that have a direct connection to small-scale fisheries and one of Europe’s leading scientists.
Another headline session will be given the same day by Larsen Mettler, Managing Director, S2G Ventures; Rui Gomes, CEO of Longline Environment; Kira Smiley, Senior Program Manager – Business Development, Tidal @ Alphabet’s X, The Moonshot Factory; Rajamanohar Somasundaram, CEO of Aquaconnect; and Mathew Zimola, CEO of ReelData AI. Titled “Advancing the Industry with Artificial Intelligence,” this presentation will explore how AI is being used across the industry today and how it is revolutionizing seafood production, shipping and decarbonization.
Sustainability and the future of fish consumption
Year after year, sustainability is one of the main topics discussed at Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global. The Thursday panel, “The Upside of Alternative Feed Ingredients: Taking the Conversation Beyond Sustainability,” will discuss how the adoption of alternative feed ingredients can generate additional value for farmers and buyers while creating environmental and social benefits in the aquaculture supply chain. Flavio Corsin, Director of Partnerships, Aqua-Spark; Maryke Musson, COO, Matorka; Hans Erik Bylling, CEO, Aller Aqua Group A/S and Michel van Spankeren, Business Development Manager, Protix B.V. will delve into the functional aspects of alternative feed ingredients and whether the inclusion of these ingredients can improve product quality and allow retailers to remain competitive in a fast-changing landscape.
Moderated by Barton Seaver, Chief Education and Sustainability Officer, For Cod and Country LLC, “Chefs’ View on the Future of Responsible Seafood” on Wednesday will delve into how chefs and retailers work in tandem, how they influence one another and the end consumer, how sustainability information is communicated, and what the future of responsible seafood looks like globally.
The conference session “Free and Open to All: The Future of Fish Consumption” will address the evolving science and debate concerning the benefits and risks of consuming fish. In October 2023, FAO and WHO held a second Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on the Risks and Benefits of Fish Consumption to analyze new scientific evidence used to draw relevant conclusions and recommendations. Session participants including FAO, AIPCE CEP, Global Seafood Alliance and Mayank Aquaculture Private Limited will reveal and discuss the results of the FAO/WHO report.
The 30th edition is set to be the largest in the history of the Expo
Diversified Communications, organizer of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, the largest and most diverse seafood trade event in the world, recently announced that its 30th edition will be the largest in its history. As of today, the Expo will occupy 51,227 net square meters of exhibit space – a 4 percent increase over its previous edition – and will welcome more than 2,050 exhibiting companies from 84 countries and will have 66 country and regional pavilions.
The complete conference program can be found on the event website at https://www.seafoodexpo.com/global/conference-program/. Attending the conference program requires a conference pass.
For further information about Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, and to register, visit: http://www.seafoodexpo.com/global.
