GLOBAL FISHERY FORUM &
SEAFOOD EXPO RUSSIA

Ilya Shestakov

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to welcome you to the 6^th Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo Russia!

Recently, the global fishing industry has been facing new challenges: the pandemic-induced economic slump, major food shortages in several poor countries and unprecedented sanctions. The fishing industry has consequently gone through a major transformation, yet it has also gained a new boost to its development. Importantly, the industry is demonstrating stability and is successfully adapting to the dynamically changing situation.

Today, we are actively modernizing the fishery complex; we are upgrading both the infrastructure and the overall development strategy; we are building solid partnerships, new logistics and new routes. Aquaculture and cooperation therein with neighbouring states are growing fast.

The industry is, in essence, being rebooted and is transitioning to a qualitatively new development level, that is, to a supply economy shaping market demand. Our principal landmark is high product quality and manufacturing safety standards. With these goalposts in view, we are upgrading the fishing fleet and processing facilities, and introducing innovative technologies including robotics and digitalization.

Cutting-edge science also serves to develop the fishing industry, improves manufacturing efficiency and allows fish catches to be planned and bioresources to be used sustainably.

Additionally, we need to pool our efforts to prevent illegal, unregistered and unregulated fishing so as to preserve the ecosystem and fish resources for future generations.

Due attention must be focused on developing talent potential, on professionally educating and training young specialists, on supporting “labour dynasties” with successive generations working in the fishing industry, on promoting state-of-the-art practices and the prestige of a career in fishing.

I believe the Forum will constitute a venue for discussing these topics and we will work out solutions for further modernizing the fishing industry along the entire production chain from the fishing vessels to store shelves. I am sure these solutions will involve cutting-edge, safe technologies for fishing, processing the catch, and storing the product. We will also develop suggestions for building up exports and entering new markets within a multipolar trade system.

Our strategic goal never changes: to ensure fish and seafood supplies for our own people and help countries in need.

I wish all Forum participants interesting sessions, new business contacts and success in all their plans for developing the fishing industry!