The agenda of Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo Russia business program features numerous issues this year, both in terms of global fishing trends and market conditions, as well as the functioning of individual components of the industry. Experts and representatives of the regulators and businesses plan to devote attention to all entities involved in the commodity distribution chain, from catching and raising fish to delivery to the end consumer.

Plenary session

The keynote event of V Global Fishery Forum will be the plenary session ‘Smart Fishing: Research, Catching, Processing’. Today, the world economy has entered a phase of fundamental changes. Having not even managed to overcome the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world faces new challenges due to disruptions in supply chains and global inflation. To reduce the risks of an economic shock, the plenary session will propose the concept of ‘Smart Fishing’, which is based on technological and economic diversity as well as the widespread use of scientific developments both for fishing and the production of new types of products. One of the fundamental principles of ‘Smart Fishing’ is finding an optimal balance between international flows of fish products and the development of the domestic market, export supplies, and the modern structure of the product range.

Industry infrastructure

The fishing industry is seeing increased demand for modern infrastructure to transport catches and expand the resource base of domestic fisheries. Following the modernization of the fishing fleet and processing enterprises, it is now time to actively build refrigerated transport and research vessels. Part of the event that will be organized on 22 September together with the event’s information partner Korabel.ru will be devoted to the fishing industry’s impact on the civil shipbuilding industry in Russia. In addition to coordinating the current positions of shipyards, customers, and design bureaus when building fishing vessels, the participants will also discuss the prospects for building a civilian fleet to meet the needs of the fishery industry.

On Day 0, the event’s information partner PortNews will organize the conference ‘Ship Repair, Modernization, and Components’. A discussion will be held together with the media group at the site of the main business program on practical issues concerning the work and development of port infrastructure. 

Logistics 

Given the complexity of the usual logistics routes for fish and seafood and changes in the supply structure, the cost and quality of logistics is taking on a different meaning. During the roundtable ‘Smart Logistics’, leading experts will discuss the industry’s need for mobile container transportation, the feasibility of delivering goods via the Northern Sea Route, and inextricable process flows for the delivery of fish products.

The conference, which is being organized jointly with the Association of Refrigerated Rolling Stock Operators and Rossoyuzkholodprom, will present the final version of a bill on continuous cold chains (CCC) in Russia. The majority of participants in a specialized conference at Seafood Expo Russia 2021 expressed the need to adopt such a bill a year ago. The authors of the bill say the law should establish technical requirements for the transportation of perishable products, ensure their safety, and create conditions for monitoring the entire chain of sales and transportation. The conference will record the fisheries industry’s final comments on the bill before it is submitted for discussion by the general public and the state authorities. In addition, the basic principles of how CCCs function will be visually demonstrated.

Deep processing – growth opportunities

One of the fisheries industry’s goals is to transition away from the raw material model by increasing the share of deep processed fish products with high added value. This is one of the reasons why the finished products section will be significantly expanded during the upcoming forum and expo, and a specialized event on the development of the canned fish products market will be held for the first time. The Russian Federation Research Institute of Fishery and Oceanography (VNIRO), the leading institute in the industry, and the professional association Fish Union will support the organization of the event. Thanks to new fishing vessels and modern processing plants, simpler logistics compared with frozen and chilled fish as well as canned fish products have great potential on the domestic market and for export. To unleash this potential, manufacturers and suppliers will have to win over new segments: for example, ready meals, premium and eco-products, and HoReCa. The main goal of the conference is to develop a new approach to quality management and the promotion of canned fish products, which will make it possible to create and promote local brands.

Aquaculture

The growing attention that is being paid to the aquaculture segment, including at Seafood Expo Russia, is not only dictated by external circumstances, but also by general global trends in the industry. As was the case last year, a separate sector of the exhibition will focus on aquaculture, while a significant part of the business program will be devoted to it as well.

The ‘Smart Aquaculture’ International Conference will take place on the second day of the event. The participants will discuss fish raising technologies, their environmental impact, planting materials, breeding methods, feed, the future of aquaculture in Russia and the world, investments, and government support for fish farms.

Also on 22 September, during an event organized jointly with the Eurasian Economic Commission, experts and stakeholders will discuss opportunities for the sustainable development of aquaculture in Eurasia. Based on the competitive advantages and partnerships among the main five Eurasian states, aquaculture could become a driver for the development of mutual trade and related sectors.

In addition, the FISHERY SKILLS International Educational Forum will debut during the 5^th Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo Russia 2022. It will focus on the practical training of young professionals to provide the fisheries industry with human resources, taking into account the needs of science, business, and governments.

V Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo Russia will take place on 21-23 September at the ExpoForum Exhibition and Convention Centre in St. Petersburg. The exposition will occupy 26,000 m² in two pavilions: equipment, shipbuilding, and ship repair sections will be presented in Pavilion F, and fishing industry, fish, aquaculture, marketing, logistics, and other services will be presented in Pavilion G.