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Seafood Expo Global, Barcelona, Spain, April 26-28
Seafood Expo Global 2022
Certifying safe and responsible aquaculture
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The 28th edition of Seafood Expo Global (SEG) and Seafood Processing Global had a successful debut at its new home, Fira de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. It marked a return to face-to-face events for the global seafood industry. Organisers, Diversified Communications group announced the participation of 1,550 exhibiting companies from 76 different countries and estimated that more than 26,630 seafood buyers and suppliers from all around the globe attended the event. There was an absence of participants from China because of the country’s strict quarantine rules, but buyers and other industry professionals visiting from all around the world surpassed 2019 figures.
SEG was held over three days (April 26-28) and aside from meeting and networking on the ground floor, the upper levels of the new venue hosted an extensive -more than 20 conference programs- featuring 65 leading international experts. Topics included sustainable seafood and specific for aquaculture, sustainable feeds, climate change and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) which was reported in issue May/June 2022, pages 4-6.
“In a year challenged by geopolitical issues and COVID-19 restrictions, being able to host an event which is 98% of the largest edition ever held is a testimony that the industry was ready to get back together in person,” stated Liz Plizga, Group Vice President. “Exhibitors and visitors have expressed their satisfaction with the exhibition space, its services and the city of Barcelona. They also demonstrated the importance of participating in the event to present and source new products and generate new business opportunities.”
Next year’s edition of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global will take place in Barcelona, Spain, April 25 – 27, 2023 at Fira Barcelona Gran Via (www. seafoodexpo.com/global)
The team from PT Delta Marine Indonesia at SEG. The company which started with buying and processing seafood has been expanding its vannamei shrimp farming business in Sumbawa. The latest venture at the farm is using raceways stocking 150PL/m2 . Consultant based in France, Herve Lucien-Brun (middle) and the team at Cap La Pérouse and Sopac SA booth. Sopac was founded in 1984 by hatcheries and distributors to guarantee the quality of the New Caledonian shrimp. The Cristal Blue brand is blue shrimp Litopenaeus stylirostris, farmed extensively. The company compares its production to that of grand cru wine. Aquaculture is the largest food export for New Caledonia.
GLOBALG.A.P. held its annual conference on April 27 during Seafood Expo Global (SEG) in Barcelona on April 27. The team, led by Managing Director Dr Kristian Moeller, provided updates on the new and revised aquaculture certification as well as the expansion of the consumer facing GGN label at international level. Also present was Chair of the Aquaculture Technical Committee Teresa Fernández, Advisory Board member and CLAMA GmbH & Co. KG CEO Martin Hofstede and representatives from retailers across the sector.
IFA revision
The Seafood Expo Global event coincided with the much-anticipated launch of Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) version 6, the updated standard. The certification solutions for the aquaculture sector support optimal operations throughout the entire production chain for maximum transparency and product integrity. From compound feed, broodstock, and hatchery through to grow out, harvesting and transportation, producers
gain a complete primary production tool under one standard that considers environmental sustainability, animal health and welfare and workers’ well-being while simultaneously increasing market recognition.
Moeller said that from producers to suppliers and retailers, this revision and overall upgrade of IFA v6 is a collaborative project of all stakeholders and partners concerned with responsible farming practices. The result of this collaboration is a smarter standard that takes a holistic approach through the key topics of food safety, animal welfare, environmental sustainability and biodiversity, workers’ well-being, production processes, and traceability.
IFA v6 for aquaculture builds on previous success, with IFA v5 being the only aquaculture certification standard recognised by GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) at the primary production level, and the only aquaculture certification standard recognised by GSSI (Global Sustainability Seafood Initiative) for all species of finfish, crustaceans, molluscs, and seaweed. GLOBALG.A.P. certified production processes produced over 2.5 million tonnes of farmed seafood for the world market in 2021 – a 23% increase since 2019.
Fernández said that there has been a series of webinars to communicate on IFA v6. There are some hotspots including environmental sustainability, water quality, animal welfare such as ablation in shrimp breeding. The latter is not often discussed publicly but work is in progress to communicate to industry, particularly in Asia. In Latin America, some hatcheries already practice non-ablation.
Spotlight on sustainable sourcing
SEG is the first trade fair since the launch of the revised Compound Feed Manufacturing (CFM) standard version 3 in December 2021. This aquaculture certification system covers the full production chain. Aquaculture farms shall only use feed originating from certified production processes. The new version covers the increased demand for sourcing raw materials responsibly, with a focus on fish meal, fish oil, soy, and palm oil sourcing. According to GSSI, 60% of marine ingredients should be certified by Marin Trust.
Addressing rising consumer concerns regarding animal health and welfare as well as the origins and suitability of raw materials used in compound feed, the CFM v3 standard introduces additional criteria in the areas of environmental protection and the responsible sourcing of feed ingredients. With feed mills producing over 23 million tonnes of compound feed annually using GLOBALG.A.P. CFM certified production processes, version 3 of the standard represents an important benchmark in feed and food safety throughout the aquaculture supply chain.
New GGN label sees international acceptance
This event provided an opportunity to highlight the success of the cross-category GGN label since its launch in April 2021 (Aquaculture label launched in 2016). The GGN label confirms that the products were farmed in line with responsible farming practices that cover food safety, environmental protection, animal welfare, social responsibility and supply chain transparency. Since the initial roll out, the GGN label has been experiencing increasing acceptance in the sector for its mission to “make responsible farming visible to consumers” and has been adopted across multiple product categories in both Europe and North America.
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