Seafood Expo Asia 2024, slated for September 4-6 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore, will feature a series of in-depth conference sessions for marine products professionals to learn about timely topics relevant to the Asian seafood industry. The educational conference program, set to take place alongside the exhibit hall, will highlight expert-led discussions around traceability, cell-cultured seafood, Latin America’s role in the Asian market, sustainable seafood supply chains in Southeast Asia, sustainable seafood consumption in Asia and more.
Traceability and sustainability are prominent topics on the agenda. A session led by the Marine Stewardship Council will discuss how a robust traceability system and sustainable practices can help the Southeast Asian seafood industry address consumer demands, mitigate environmental impact and position itself as a leader in the global market. Another panel presented by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council will analyze the status and potential of the responsible seafood market, consumption in Asia and the importance of responsible aquaculture practices. Policy and business professionals from The Nature Conservancy, Seafood Legacy, the Ministry of Agriculture of Taiwan and more organizations will cover topics focused on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, its threat to sustainability, and the need for seafood transparency and traceability schemes.
Utari Octavianty, co-founder and chief sustainability officer of Aruna, will lead a discussion around how the company’s technology helps small-scale players in Indonesia cut the long lines of the supply chain, ensuring they get fair prices and access to a wider and more stable market. She will also be featured on a panel that will discuss ways to raise the profile of women in the seafood industry and how to attract diverse talent.
Other panelists include Åshild Nakken, regional director of Southeast Asia for the Norwegian Seafood Council, and Jill Briggs, managing director of Affectus.
Ambassadors from Chile and Argentina as well as seafood industry representatives from ProEcuador, Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (Ecuador) and Messina Holding (Panama) will present their perspectives on Latin America’s role in Asia’s seafood market. They will discuss the qualities of seafood from each region and address initiatives, practices and certifications in Latin America, supply chain and trade support as well as success stories and present examples of efficient logistics and trade routes.
Cell-cultured seafood (protein derived from muscle cells grown in a lab) will be covered in a session about how this innovation is shaping the industry, its potential to address consumer concerns around issues of mercury, antibiotic and microplastics contamination, bycatch, overfishing, labor abuse and Singapore’s leadership in cultivating the industry.
Six entrepreneurs will present their latest innovations in aquaculture and the seafood supply chain on an investor panel. The focus will be on technology that can transform the seafood industry and create a more sustainable future with solutions in areas such as shrimp farming advances, upcycling aquafeed ingredients, novel diagnostics, seaweed aggregators and technologies.
For more information, visit www.seafoodexpo.com/asia.
