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Asia-Pacific to be broadly represented at Global Fishery Forum 2018

Representatives of Asian businesses and specialized organizations will be actively involved in discussions of topical fishing industry

MOSCOW, August 29. /TASS/. The Asia-Pacific region will be broadly represented by delegations from East Asia and North America at the 2nd Global Fishery Forum. Leaders and representatives of fishing industry ministries and institutions as well as various fishing and manufacturing companies from China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the Philippines will attend the event.

Fisheries have historically played an important role in Asia-Pacific nations. “There is serious potential for increasing production volumes in the Pacific Ocean, and there are great investment prospects associated with this fact. Cooperation with countries of the Asia-Pacific region, exchanging experience, and working on joint projects are activities of significant mutually beneficial interest, Russian Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Director of the Federal Agency for Fishery Ilya Shestakov said.

Deputy Minister for Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea Seung-Hwan Cho and Director of the Resources Management Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan Koya Takashi are expected to take part the Forum.

The event will also be attended by a delegation from the People's Republic of China that will include representatives of the Ocean and Fisheries Department of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance, and the Shanghai Economic Development Zone Administration of Changxing Island.

Director of the Philippines' Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Philippines Eduardo Gongona has confirmed that he will take part in the Global Fishery Forum.

Representatives of Asian businesses and specialized organizations will be actively involved in discussions of topical fishing industry issues as part of business programme activities at the Global Fishery Forum 2018. Alibaba Group Director and President John Michael Evans will speak at the ‘Resources’ roundtable, which focuses on forecasts of and opportunities for the catch of aquatic bioresources by 2050. Professor at Busan University and President of the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) Suam Kim will take part in the international conference ‘Issues in commercial straddling stocks fishing activities’ on the first day of the Forum. A representative from the Japanese company Nippon Suisan will give a presentation titled ‘Trout breeding: Nippon Suisan aquaculture farming in Chile’ during the roundtable ‘Aquaculture: 2050 breeding and development forecast’.

At present, China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan are actively cooperating with Russia on fishery affairs. The countries have concluded a number of bilateral and multilateral agreements on the joint regulation and study of aquatic bioresources in the North Pacific, scientific and technical cooperation as well as combating illegal fishing.

These countries are important players on the global fish market and some of the largest producers, importers, and exporters of fish products as well as fishing and fish processing equipment and technologies. In addition, the region has a large population, an established culture of seafood consumption, and a large number of industry specialists. During the key event of the Forum – the plenary session ‘Global fishing activities 2050: Resources, markets, technologies’ – experts will examine the long-term prospects for the development of the global fisheries industry in the context of population growth by 2050, which is estimated to reach 9.8 billion people.

The Seafood Expo will feature major commercial companies that specialize in the catch, production, and trade of fish and seafood, including Whittier Seafood (USA), Sea Yarn International Ltd (China), and Beijing Yinqicheng International Exhibition Co., Yanmar (Japan), Powertech Machinery (China), and other companies from the Asia-Pacific region.

Asia-Pacific nations are also engaged in a high level of business cooperation. At present, comfortable conditions have been created in advanced special economic zones and the Free Port of Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East to attract foreign business, including in the fishing industry. Asian companies have shown active interest in mariculture and fish processing as well as projects to create fish markets and hubs in the Far East. Prospects for business cooperation in the fisheries industry will also be one of the discussion topics at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok to be held on 11–13 September.

The 2nd Global Fishery Forum and Seafood Expo will take place in St. Petersburg on 1315 September at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event is being organized by the Federal Agency for Fishery, and the Roscongress Foundation is the operator of the forum.

Official Forum website: www.fishexpoforum.com

Contact information for media representatives:

Roscongress Foundation Media Relations Directorate

Tel.: +7 (812) 406-77-09

Email: media@roscongress.org

Organizer: The Federal Agency for Fishery (Rosrybolovstvo) regulates the production, conservation, and reproduction of aquatic biological resources. The agency’s responsibilities include organizing industrial fishing, scientific support for fishing, developing aquaculture (commercial fish farming), supervising the safety of fishing vessel navigation and rescue operations in fishing areas as well as fish conservation measures.

One of the Agency’s top objectives is to ensure the sustainable development of the fishery industry, which makes a significant contribution to the country’s food security and is a driver of economic growth in the coastal regions.

The Russian Federation accounts for more than 5.5% of global fish production and ranks fourth in the world in terms of this indicator. In 2017, Russian fishermen had a record catch rate for the past 25 years: 4.9 million tonnes of aquatic biological resources were caught, or almost 3% more than in 2016. Industry organizations had the total turnover of RUB 310 billion, an increase of 7% from 2016 in current prices.

With the informational support of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation.

Operator of the Forum: Roscongress Foundation is a socially oriented non-financial development institution and a major organizer of international conventions, exhibition and public events.

The Roscongress Foundation was founded in 2007 to develop Russia’s economic potential and strengthen the country’s image by organizing congresses and exhibitions with an economic and social focus. The Foundation develops the substantive content for these events, and provides companies with advice, information, and expert guidance, as well as offering comprehensive evaluation, analysis, and coverage of the Russian and global economic agenda. The Foundation administers and facilitates the promotion of business projects and the raising of investments, including as part of a public-private partnership.

Today, the Foundation’s annual programme includes events held from Montevideo to Vladivostok, offering an opportunity to bring together global business leaders, experts, the media, and government officials in one place, creating favourable conditions for dialogue and the promotion of new ideas and projects, and assisting in the creation of social enterprise and charity projects.