GAA’s Lee To Address 9th North Atlantic Seafood Forum

Best Aquaculture Practices Standards Coordinator Dan Lee is presenting at the 9th North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF) conference in Bergen, Norway, early next month.

Titled “Challenges and opportunities related to sustainability for aquaculture producers in Asia,” Lee’s 15-minute presentation is part of Day 2’s sustainability and communications seminar. It is scheduled for Thursday, March 6, at 11:45 a.m.

The Global Aquaculture Alliance will also be exhibiting at the three-day conference, in the NASF foyer exhibition at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel.

This is the second consecutive year that a GAA staff member has presented at NASF. Last year, GAA President George Chamberlain gave a keynote titled “Major Solutions Needed to Sustainably Expand Global Aquaculture.”

Also representing GAA at NASF will be Emil Avalon, BAP business development manager for Europe, and Roy Palmer, BAP business development manager for Australasia.

This year, more than 500 attendees from more the 35 countires are expected at NASF, the world’s largest annual seafood business conference and a leading meeting place for seafood executives, policymakers and financial professionals, according to NASF Managing Director Jørgen J. Lund. This year’s conference program features 10 seminars and around 100 speakers, including Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry Monica Maeland, who will give the opening address. Her department oversees the Ministry of Fisheries. The theme of this year’s conference is “Seafood and food security— setting seafood into a new and vital geopolitical role.”

“Aquaculture business development in Asia and elsewhere will take increasingly important role in the world seafood industry, as global seafood demand continues to grow in light of low fish food supply growth,” said Lund.

According to the new World Bank/FAO report “Fish to 2030,” seafood consumption in Asia is projected to represent 70% of world demand. By 2030, two-thirds of the global seafood supply for human consumption will come from aquaculture, with much of the production growth likely originating from tilapia, catfish and carp. Lund said GAA’s presentation will be of much interest to the NASF audience because it will highlight fish farming opportunities and challenges in Asia.

“At NASF, Asian developers can meet and interact with the leading world aquaculture operators and investors and other key players, along with financial institutions from the world’s largest seafood capital markets, all in the same venue,” added Lund. “Clearly these Asian species constitute a major growth potential for world aquaculture producers and investors.”

The NASF is co-organized by MareLife, Pareto Securities and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. For more information, including registration and a schedule of the conference program, visit the NASF website at www.nor-seafood.com.