St. Petersburg, September 15, 2017 /Roscongress/. The first Global Fishery Forum and Exhibition for Fishery, Seafood, and Knowhow opened on 14 September in St. Petersburg.
“I must admit, in undertaking such a large-scale event, we set an ambitious goal. We chose a format that is unprecedented in the fishing industry, and offered business, the government, experts, and scientists the opportunity to sit down at the same table and find a balance of interests taking into account global market trends and the state of ecosystems. We are glad that interest in the Forum exceeded our expectations, judging from the impressive number of participants and guests at the event – more than 1,600 people”, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and Federal Agency for Fisheries Director Ilya Shestakov said during the opening ceremony of the Global Fishery Forum.
“An event in a fundamentally new format is starting today in St. Petersburg – the first Global Fishery Forum. This is an important event for the domestic and global fish industry”, Roscongress Foundation Director Alexander Stuglev said.
The Exhibition for Fishery, Seafood, and Knowhow, which will last until 16 September, features more than 100 exhibitors – Russian and foreign companies as well as research institutes presenting their achievements, products, and equipment for the fishing industry.
The Forum’s business programme opened with the plenary session ‘A Global View of Fishing in the World Ocean: Cooperation or Competition?’
The event was attended by leading politicians and fisheries experts from all over the world: Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and Federal Agency for Fisheries Director Ilya Shestakov, Minister of Fisheries of the Kingdom of Norway Per Sandberg, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of Morocco Aziz Akhannouch, Chilean Undersecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture Pablo Berazaluce Maturana, Japan Fisheries Association President Toshiro Sirasu, Executive Secretary and General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and Black Sea at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Abdellah Srour, Vice President and Secretary General of China Overseas Fisheries Association Huang Baoshan, Minister in Charge of Industry and the Agro-Industrial Complex at the Eurasian Economic Commission Sergey Sidorsky, and International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization (IFFO) Director General Andrew Mallison.
The discussion focused on meeting national interests in fishery matters in areas where international treaties are in effect. The speakers discussed the current legal regulation and the feasibility of rethinking the strategy for the joint sustainable development of bioresources in the World Ocean. Given the increase in the world population and the insufficient resource base that large countries are encountering, a balance must be found today between the competing interests of the numerous countries involved.
Sovereign rights to fish bioresources within the exclusive economic zones of states remain inviolable, and most of the open water areas of the World Ocean are covered by multilateral international agreements, but unregulated zones remain. At the same time, the United Nations is working to protect “ocean health” and establish protected marine areas that limit industrial fishing. Today, as never before, interaction between states and international organizations in the fishing industry is important for the comprehensive provision of national and global interests in the World Ocean.
The Global Fishery Forum and Exhibition for Fishery, Seafood, and Knowhow is being held on 14–16 September in St. Petersburg at Lenexpo Exhibition Centre. The Forum’s business programme consists of a plenary session, conference, and 7 panel sessions.
Official Forum website: www.fishexpoforum.com.
Contact information for media representatives:
Media Relations Directorate of the Roscongress Foundation
Tel.: +7 (812) 406 7709
Email: media@roscongress.org
Background information:
Organizer: Federal Agency for Fishery (Rosrybolovstvo) regulates the production, conservation, and reproduction of aquatic biological resources.
The agency’s responsibilities include organizing industrial fishing in the sea and freshwater, scientific support for fishing, replenishing fish stocks, developing aquaculture (commercial fish farming), supervising the safety of fishing vessel navigation and rescue operations in fishing areas as well as production activities on vessels and at seaports.
One of the Federal Fisheries 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 4.5% of global fish production and consistently ranks fifth or sixth in the world in terms of this indicator. In 2016, Russian fishermen had a record catch rate for the past 20 years: about 4.8 million tons of aquatic biological resources were caught, or almost 6% more than in 2015. Industry organizations had turnover of RUB 290.9 billion, an increase of 11.1% from 2015 in current prices.
With the information support of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation.
The Roscongress Foundation – a major organizer of convention and exhibition 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.
Today, its 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.