THOUSANDS of fishing and seafood executives arrived in Boston at the weekend for one of the world's largest and most important industry trade shows - with the message that the industry may be turning the corner out of recession. .
The International Boston Seafood show, which opened yesterday and runs until Tuesday, is North America's largest seafood event and this year has attracted over 800 exhibitors, bringing in buyers and sellers from around the globe. The show's catchphrase is "Take care of a year's business in three days". Seafood traders, according to Canadian and US companies, believe that the worst of the recession may be over - in North America at least. Canadian fishing companies certainly have their problems with poor prices for some species and from currency fluctuations.Canada is the world’s seventh-largest exporter of fish and seafood products with exports to more than 130 countries. In 2008, Canada’s fish and seafood exports were valued at $3.9 billion.
Canadian East Coast fish processors have been urged to look to the UK and Europe for new markets, while in the United States fishermen and fishing companies are battling with the authorities over catch quotas and other regulations.
However, these problems are usually forgotten during the Boston Show period which this year has attracted an estimated 16,000 seafood buyers and sellers from over 90 countries.
There is a large contingent this year from South East Asia and Vietnam in particular, one of the fast rising fishing nations, both in aquaculture and conventional fishing.
But, compared to past years, Britain is not well represented. And those that are there are the UK offshoots of Icelandic fishing companies which have large production outlets on the Humber.
Should fisheries be closed during breeding time to allow stocks to reach more sustainable levels?
