Governing the oceans

From 16-19 September 2009, the world's fishing and aquaculture industry will gather at the IFEVI Exhibition Centre in Cotogrande, Vigo, Spain for the main exhibition and various conferences and meetings aimed at being a forum for debate.

Andrew Webster, President of World Trade Exhibitions, technical organisers of the event, tells World Fishing: "While we are all focussed on managing our way through the current round of financial turmoil, it is important to remember that fishing and aquaculture are the economic bedrock of many producing countries. This edition of the World Fishing Exhibition is being held at a crucial time for the fishing and aquaculture industries which have to find ways to meet the growing global demand for seafood.

"Right now, the fishing industry needs to take a completely new approach to conservation, environment and sustainable development. Our aim is to provide a platform for the global fishing industry to come together, to discuss key issues, to develop long-term solutions for the international community and, of course, to do business.

"A significant enhancement to this year's exhibition is the acknowledgement of the structural changes that are occurring in the industry. It is important that production is boosted through the increase in scale and productivity of aquaculture. Towards helping the industry meet this objective, Vigo will play host to the first AQA - a professional aquaculture exhibition where companies and professionals from the aquaculture sector can meet and do business. AQA will be co-located with the WFE and will benefit from the same features that make the occasion truly unique.

"Aquaculture is one of the world's fastest growing food production sectors. It is also one of the most vital as it holds the key to meeting the growing demand for seafood from both developed and emerging markets. In the next few years, aquaculture will be supplying half of the world's seafood requirements; and as existing resources become scarcer, this rate is only likely to increase."

Alfonso Paz-Andrade, President of the Executive Committee World Fishing Exhibition Vigo 2009 adds that the show “will be a great opportunity to get in touch with the main international producers, who will present their latest technologic advances and innovations in energy saving for vessels and industry; as well as to take part in the different meetings and events held in parallel”.

The exhibition is approximately 85% sold out and the organisers have told World Fishing that they are on track to equal the exhibitor numbers of the last event in 2003.

National pavilions from Australia, China, Faroe Islands, France, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Senegal, Sweden, Taiwan and the UK are planned, along with exhibitors from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Korea, Pakistan, India, Cape Verde, Ghana and Senegal.

Other events running alongside the exhibition include:

Worldwide Tuna Conference, 14-15 September 2009

ANFACO (Spanish Association of Canned Seafood and Fish Manufacturers) will host the Fourth ANFACO Tuna Conference, which will be the framework within which the different challenges and key issues facing the sector will be discussed and debated.

First World Summit on Fisheries Sustainability, 15 September 2009

The main objective of the Summit is to define the basic guidelines that must drive the fisheries industry towards a sustainable activity from three different points of view: biological sustainability of species, financial sustainability of companies and social sustainability of the communities that make a life from fisheries. During the one day event, the administrations, environmental organisers and the fisheries industry will discuss how they will channel their respective responsibilities in order to achieve this eagerly awaited triple objective.

For enquiries please contact Wenceslao Oliveira - email woliveira@worldfishingexhibition.com]

Fifth Fisheries Ministers Conference, 16 September 2009

This event has taken place in parallel to each of the previous WFE's held in Vigo. The Conference has been praised for both the subjects debated and the attendance of top authorities from the fisheries sectors of different countries.

APROMAR Sectorial Conference, 17 September 2009

This meeting, entitled "Times of change: experiences and opportunities", will take place at the José Nogueira Dalmás exhibition centre.

AQA Conference, 18 September 2009

Entitled "Marine aquaculture - the 21st century opportunity and challenge for world fishing", the conference will pose and answer crucial questions such as: is marine aquaculture a viable alternative to wild capture fisheries? And, how can traditional fishing businesses successfully move into it? To register as a delegate, contact Karen Tolley - email ktolley@worldfishingexhibition.com

Online visitor registration

Online visitor registration for the World Fishing Exhibition and AQA 2009 is now open and will remain open until 11 September 2009. Registration is free before 31 August 2009! All visitors registering online will also receive their badges in advance, saving time at the exhibition.

To register online visit: http://acreditaciones.worldfishingexhibition.com/web/index_asistentes_en.cfm

Stands still available

There are still a few stands remaining at the World Fishing Exhibition 2009 - please contact Maria Rybak-Rendell on tel: +44 (0)1329 820495 or email: mrybak-rendell@worldtradeexhibitions.com for more details.

Nets and ropes on display

As always, the range of products to be displayed at the exhibition will be very diverse. In particular, companies devoted to the production of nets and ropes will be present, attending from countries all over the world:

• Tecnored S.L. from Spain is a family business created more than 30 years ago which will exhibit a wide range of fishing nets.

• Richan is a netting factory from China and its products include nylon monofilament, multifilament, multi-mono fishing nets, twisted or braided, single knot to triple knot, knotted or knotless, as well as purse-seine netting assembled with Korean technology.

• Fibras Industriales S.A. (FISA) is a Peruvian company that manufactures multifilament nets, ropes, and twine for their use in the fishing, aquaculture, sports, security and safety netting industries.

• Tufropes Private Limited comes from India and is a manufacturer and exporter of synthetic ropes and nets.

• Tunanets from Istanbul is, according to the company, "the most modern netting factory in Turkey".

Guardians of the CFP

The Community Fisheries Control Agency will have its own space in the World Fishing Exhibition, where it will present its work.

The primary role of the Agency is to organise coordination and cooperation between national control and inspection activities so that the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) are respected and applied effectively.

"The work of the Agency has clear added value" explains the organisation, as "it will contribute to a level playing field for the fishing industry so that obligations are observed and everyone in the sector is treated equally, wherever they might be operating. Secondly, it will contribute towards sustainable fisheries by enhancing compliance with existing conservation and management measures to the benefit of present and future generations".

As an independent executive body, the Agency works closely with the European Commission, Member States, Regional Advisory Councils and, where appropriate, third parties such as Regional Fisheries Organisations. Each has a particular role to play in making sure that the EU fisheries policy operates in the most sustainable manner possible.

Station of Marine Science of Toralla at WFE

The Station of Marine Science of Toralla (ECIMAT) was created in 2006 as a response to Vigo University's marine vocation. The main objective of the station is to provide the University with top level marine research facilities.

In Vigo there is a critical mass of highly competitive marine research groups, with a very high capacity to attract external funding. Within this context, the objective of ECIMAT is to provide the scientific community with the necessary seaside facilities; to keep up and improve the scientific level attained; to provide added value and competitive advantages to raise external funding; and to provide centralised services to the University and other public or private institutions related to marine research and aquaculture.

One of the main priorities of ECIMAT is applied research and the transfer of scientific results to the industrial sector - this is why the presence of ECIMAT at an event of such importance as the WFE, where the most important companies from the fisheries and aquaculture sectors meet, presents itself as a unique opportunity to set the basis of future cooperation agreements between the University and the industrial sector.