World Seafood Congress gets underway in Canada
The city of St. John’s will be hopping this week, with seafood industry operators mixing with government folks as well as delegates from the host academic institution the Memorial University’s Marine Institute. According to organizers, The World Seafood Congress 2013 will be offering a series of pre/post Congress Technical and Special Interest Workshops- the following technical workshops are the latest in a series:
1. Laitram Machinery – Shellfish Cooking
2. Laitram Machinery – Shrimp Processing Optimization
3. Reducing Ecological Impacts of Bottom Trawling
4. Water Quality Monitoring Workshop
5. Nutraceutical Grade Oil Fish Waste Workshop
6. Seafood Demo-Fish Preparation & Cooking School – TESCO
8. Marine Bioprocessing (Shellfish)
The Provincial Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture- which promotes the development of the province’s fishing and aquaculture industries- posted the following announcement last week:
The World Seafood Congress, a biennial event that assembles hundreds of seafood industry stakeholders from around the world, will take place in St. John’s and surrounding areas from Saturday, September 28, to Thursday, October 3. The Honourable Derrick Dalley, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, today announced $50,000 to assist the Marine Institute with hosting the event.
“The Provincial Government was pleased to provide $50,000 (~€36,000) to support hosting the World Seafood Congress - a major event that will assemble key players in the global seafood industry and create a tremendous opportunity to showcase our billion dollar fishing and aquaculture sector to the world,” said Minister Dalley. “This government has invested millions to support research and development projects, fisheries science, and environmental stewardship. Representatives from our province will have much to share with other World Seafood Congress attendees over the coming days.”
This will be the first time the World Seafood Congress has been held in Newfoundland and Labrador. Sessions will cover a wide range of topics, including innovative technology, sustainable fisheries management, and inspection and quality control practices. Minister Dalley will address delegates on Monday, September 30, at Salon A of the Delta Hotel in St. John’s.
“The Marine Institute is proud to host this prestigious event, which has the theme creative solutions for global challenge’ this year,” said Glenn Blackwood, Vice President, Memorial University (Marine Institute). “I look forward to many discussions and presentations that will provide insights into how we can further enhance our own provincial seafood industry, and I thank the Provincial Government for supporting this event.”
The Marine Institute is hosting the World Seafood Congress on behalf of the International Association of Fish Inspectors, an organization that promotes global seafood trade. Nearly 400 delegates comprising retailers, academics, harvesters, processors, and government representatives will attend workshops, information sessions, and tours during the six-day period.
