The organizer of the March 16-18 Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing America trade show in Boston, the largest seafood trade event in North America, has announced the 2025 conference program. Over 30 sessions are scheduled, with topics ranging from seafood consumption, consumer and policy trends, regulatory issues, AI, labor rights, marine plastics and more.
The conference program will begin on Sunday, March 16 at 11:15 AM with a keynote address by Dr. Nomi Prins, PhD, macro-economist, geopolitical financial expert, journalist and author of “Riding the Waves: Navigating Economic, Energy, and Trade Policies Impacting the Seafood Industry in 2025.”
New and existing regulations, policies and best practices around seafood traceability requirements, SIMP, forced labor, human rights issues, FSMA and more are on the agenda for discussion. In “The Demise of the Chevron Doctrine and the Legal Implications for Fisheries and Aquaculture” session attendees will be informed about the legal and practical implications of these decisions and how the fisheries and aquaculture industry should be prepared to respond accordingly.
A discussion around SIMP 2.0 featuring speakers from FishWise, NOAA Fisheries, EU IUU Fishing Coalition and more will review key ideas around the traceability requirements, highlight NOAA Fisheries latest activities on import controls and the regulatory landscape.
Other sessions will address trends and actions being taken to prevent IUU and fraudulent fish from entering the USA market and how AI can automate and improve quality and food safety inspection.
Several sessions in this year’s program will focus on seafood trends, consumer behavior and innovations. Chef Andrew Zimmern, an Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, and representatives from Seafood Nutrition Partnership will lead a discussion around existing challenges and notable solutions to increase seafood consumption in America in “Fall in Love with Seafood: Driving Consumer Behavior Change and Seafood Sales.”
The Power of Seafood session will present the results of The Food Industry Association’s (FMI) annual survey on seafood shopping habits. Presenters will reveal why consumers are shopping for seafood, what their preferences are and how their behaviors have changed. Other sessions will cover restaurant, menu and supermarket trends and winning practices to make seafood a consumer’s preferred protein.
Sustainability efforts around marine plastic pollution will be presented by experts and leaders across the industry. A conversation on marine plastic pollution and the issue of lost, abandoned, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) or “ghost gear,” will be led by a member of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI)/Ocean Conservancy.
More information is available by visiting the website of the organizer, Diversified: seafoodexpo.com/north-america or www.divcom.com. Established in 1949 and headquartered in Portland, Maine, the Diversified has divisions and offices around the world in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.
