GLOBAL FISHERY FORUM &
SEAFOOD EXPO RUSSIA

Ilya Vasilyevich Shestakov

Dear colleagues,

It is my pleasure to welcome the participants of IX Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo Russia 2026!

Over the years, the event has become one of the key platforms for open industry dialogue between government and business, science and producers. Seafood Expo Russia is the flagship international congress and exhibition event of Russia’s fisheries sector, bringing together the industry’s key achievements, from fishing and aquaculture to a wide range of seafood products.

Today, we are witnessing a transformation of global trade, shifts in the geography of demand, and the emergence of new logistics routes and partnerships. At the same time, new opportunities are opening up to create higher value-added products based on aquatic biological resources, introduce advanced technologies in fishing and aquaculture, and implement digital solutions for resource monitoring and stock assessment.

The central theme of the Forum will be the transition to a bioeconomy — a model in which scientific knowledge, technology and the sustainable use of aquatic biological resources form the foundation for the technological and economic development of the industry. This topic will be the focus of the Plenary Session, “Transition to a Bioeconomy in the Fishery Industry as the Key to Technological Development and Economic Transformation.”

I am confident that the discussion will provide an opportunity to address the changes required in a substantive and practical manner. Together, we will develop proposals for the industry’s technological and human-resource development, as well as for the sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture, in order to ensure global food security while preserving the country’s natural wealth.

I wish all participants productive discussions and successful work!