Building business in Barcelona

Three salmon farmers are among 17 companies exhibiting in the Scotland Pavilion at stand 2F601 at the giant Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona from tomorrow until Thursday.

Scottish Sea Farms, Loch Duart, and Wester Ross Salmon have once again booked stands at the Pavilion, and are being joined by salmon smokers, shellfish producers, and three businesses owned by Aberdeen’s International Fish Canners, as well as by marketing organisation Scottish Seafood.

Scottish Sea Farms commercial manager Morna Marr said: “We started seeing requests for appointments earlier than ever this year, with the result that the diary is filling up fast with weeks still to go, underlining Seafood Expo Global’s position as the go-to sector event worldwide.

“We’ll be out in force with a nine-strong team on our stand, part of the Scottish Pavilion, ready to welcome as many people as possible, from long-standing export customers and leading UK retailers to all-new contacts.

“That’s what makes Seafood Expo Global such a valuable three days: the opportunity to meet in person, talk through customers’ requirements and outline the investments we’ve been making to ensure we have the increased volumes to deliver on those requirements. It’s the single best way to cement existing partnerships and also strike up new relationships.”

'A distinct brand'

Wester Ross Salmon is now owned by Mowi but has substantial autonomy, said communications manager Gillian Osborne. “Wester Ross remains a distinct and ring-fenced brand, as evidenced by our place in the Scotland Pavilion,” said Osborne. “We’re looking forward to once again attending SEG to showcase our artisan salmon and our unique approach to farming.”

Loch Duart produces around 6,000 tonnes of fish annually in Sutherland and the Hebrides but is beginning production at five sites around Skye that it bought from Scottish Sea Farms, so will have more fish to sell from next year. The sites have a combined maximum allowed biomass of 9,694 tonnes, although the company’s focus on quality over quantity means it may not use full capacity.

This year’s edition of Seafood Expo Global and its accompanying technical trade show, Seafood Processing Global, is the largest ever, featuring over 50,000 net square metres of exhibition space with more than 80 exhibiting countries taking part.

Seafood from Scotland

Seafood from Scotland, the Seafood Scotland brand for the buying market, across the UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia and the Americas, is hosting the Scotland Pavilion alongside Scottish Development International.

Chef Steve Walpole is leading a team of cooks providing seafood dishes at the popular Scottish Seafood Bar, which is also the venue for an international media brunch on the second day of the event, April 24.

French national Marie-Anne Omnes, Seafood Scotland’s head of trade marketing for Europe, said the Expo was a fantastic opportunity to meet with suppliers, buyers, and distributors from all over the world.

Trade partnerships

“As we celebrate 25 years of Seafood Scotland, we will once again be there to help support Scottish seafood companies build on existing connections as well as creating new business opportunities,” said Omnes.

“This is the 30th edition of the show, but my first in this role, and I’m looking forward to help showcasing Scotland’s premium and sustainable seafood across the three days with events, cookery demonstrations, meetings, and networking opportunities. An event like this is hugely important in building trade partnerships alongside having the chance to demonstrate the breadth and quality of seafood you can find across Scotland.”

The Scottish operations of salmon farmers Mowi, Cooke, and Bakkafrost, are all being represented on their parent companies’ own stands.