EUROFISH Governing Council hosts a record number of participants
The 19th session of the EUROFISH Governing Council was held on 6 and 7 February 2020 in Copenhagen, Denmark. This annual meeting brought together a record number of representatives from the organisation’s member countries (Albania, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, and Turkey), observer countries, and institutions like the FAO, Baltic Sea Advisory Council, GFCM, and the Nordic Council of Ministers to review the activities conducted by the organisation in 2019 and to approve the work programme proposed for 2020. The event was chaired by Romania and gave presentations on recent trade agreements and market access by Marcio Castro de Souza, an FAO expert; on the implementation of a traceability system in Latvia by Normunds Riekstins of the Latvian Ministry of Agriculture, and on Croatian experiences with the digitalisation of systems for fisheries control and traceability, presented by Mirta Novak of the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture.
The external presentations are available here: gc.eurofish.dk
Held biennially and now entering its 4th decade, fish international is Germany's only seafood trade fair. The 17th edition of the fish international will take place place in Bremen, Germany on 9-11 February 2020. fish international is a window on the German market, which is among the biggest in Europe for fish and seafood. Eurofish International Organisation, together with the fair organisers Messe Bremen, provides a Business Platform to companies from its member countries, where they can exhibit and promote their products and services, communicate with visitors and other exhibitors, and look for potential business partners.
On 12 and 13 November 2019 the FAO and CACFish, the Central Asian and Caucasus Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Commission, together with EUROFISH, the International Organisation for the Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture in Europe and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Turkey organised a capacity-building workshop in Istanbul, Turkey, for government officials and industry representatives in Central Asian and Caucasian countries aiding the development of the post-harvest fisheries sector in the areas of food safety, processing, markets, and trade. The workshop was opened by Turkish Director-General for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Mr Altuğ Atalay and Viorel Gutu, Subregional Coordinator for Central Asia and FAO Representative for Turkey and Uzbekistan along with EUROFISH Director Aina Afanasjeva. The purpose of the workshop was to better enable the region’s governments to assist their industry in gaining access to international markets, creating jobs and to raise national income through trade in fisheries and aquaculture products. The workshop addressed issues faced by fish processors and traders in developing countries and economies in transition arising from the increasingly complex fish value chains that include countless import regulations, international standards, and certification schemes. Experts from FAO and its sub-regional office, the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, EUROFISH, UNCTAD, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Turkey, among others gave presentations on market access and trade related issues, implementation of traceability and labelling requirements, the impact of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture, HACCP, and other topics.
As one of the services to its member countries, EUROFISH International Organisation occasionally facilitates the participation of delegations at trade fairs around Europe. Third edition of the EUROFISH Business Platform at Seafood Expo Russia was held in St. Petersburg, Russia 10-12 July 2019. It was a good occasion to bring a delegation of the officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, representatives from the Central Union of Aquaculture Producers, as well as fish farmers and traders from Turkey to Russia . It gave the participants an opportunity both to explore the Russian seafood market and to introduce their products and services. Companies at EUROFISH Business Platform offered a wide spectrum of fish products attracting a lot of visitors.
Aquaculture in Europe and in countries bordering the Mediterranean and Black Seas is an important activity that has grown substantially during the past decades though mostly in Mediterranean and Black Sea riparian countries. Fish farming helps to meet the rising demand for fisheries products and contributes to food security, employment and economic development. In terms of blue growth, aquaculture constitutes a strategic sector for future sustainable development. This growth was possible thanks to a series of factors, such as improvements in fish feed performance, better control of pathogens, and the evolution of cage and land-based technologies. Political will, regional and international cooperation, and significant investments, both public and private, have also strongly contributed to the sector’s development. In addition, new market opportunities positively influenced this expansion as well.