“Discover our Fisheries: Competitive and Sustainable” will be the slogan of the MAPAMA Pavilion in Hall 7, where 22 Spanish companies will hold forth during the April 25-27 Seafood Expo Global (SEG) in Brussels. This will be the 21st time that Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment has organized participation at the annual event.
Encompassing an area of 224 square meters of space, the pavilion will be occupied by manufacturers of frozen, fresh and canned fish, the Spanish Association of Wholesalers, Importers, Transformers and Exporters of Products of Fishing and Aquaculture (CONXEMAR), the Business Association of Producers of Marine Cultures of Spain (APROMAR), and ANFACO-CECOPECA.
Also on the scene will be representatives of the regions of Andalusia, the Canary Islands, Catalonia, Galicia, Basque country and the Principality of Asturias.
A large presence of Spanish companies will be co-exhibiting at the Spanish pavilion, including: Commercial de Productos Pesqueros S.A., Salazones Moti S.L., Sigma Ittica S.L., Francisco Gil Comes, Copemar, Euroasian Fish S.L., From S.A., Scanfisk Seafood, Congelados Cientocinco S.L., Hermanos Beltran adell, Medimar S.L., Pasapesca and Mariscos Castellar.
A number of panels on fisheries commercialization and products of differentiated quality will be displayed under the following banner: “Spanish Products. Quality Products.” Among them: the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), “Mexillon de Galicia-Mejillón de Galicia,” the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) of “caballa de Andalucía y melva de Andalucía,” and the Protected Geographical Indications of “mojama de Barbate” and “mojama de Isla Cristina.”
They will spotlight the rule of Spain’s Standardization and Certification Association (AENOR) and elaborated by the Technical Committee AEN/CTN 173 – processes and products of aquaculture, about the “Guide of Best Practice for sacrifice” – which establishes good practices for the stunning and harvesting of marine and continental aquaculture fish destined to human consumption and related operations.
Likewise, in the “Spanish products. Quality Products” panel, the so-called “product of Estero” will be presented. This distinguishes and identifies a unique product, which guarantees a production system that is sustainable and respectful of the environment, located in protected natural areas with high environmental and ecological value, the major wetland marshes that make up the deltas of large rivers along the Andalusian Atlantic coast.
The brand “Atún de Pesca Responsable” (Tuna of Responsible Fishing) will also be displayed at the stand. The Spanish tuna fleet in OPAGAC (Associated Producers of Large Tuna Freezer Organization) has promoted the publication of the first AENOR standard (Spain’s Standardization and Certification Association) for the creation of a Spanish standard of requirements that vessels wishing to distinguish their catches as Atún de Pesca Responsable (APR) must follow.
MAPAMA organizes, coinciding with the fair, a schedule of business meetings which is open to all participating Spanish companies, with listings of potential business partners, tailored to the needs of each one of them with a selection of contacts of interest: importers, agents, or distributors. In addition, the agenda includes the organization of individualized interviews with importers from other countries, reports on the product or service in the target market and practical information about the country of origin.
The presence of Spain at the Brussels fair is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment and by the European Union, through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).
Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global is the largest trade event of fish and seafood in the world. More than 26,000 buyers, suppliers, other seafood industry professionals and media personnel from over 140 countries are expected to visit the exhibition.
