TAIWAN
Industry Events
TAIWAN INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES & SEAFOOD SHOW Taiwan’s largest fishery trade event connecting industry professionals took place on September 26-28th, 2019 at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Centre in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, an event which International Aquafeed magazine were very happy to attend. This year’s exposition is the fifth rendition of the popular Taiwan International Fisheries and Seafood show (TIFSS). As one of Taiwan’s most important fishery and seafood trade events, the show was a huge success and attracted over 170 exhibitors and 340 booths. Over 10,000 foreign and domestic professional buyers also attended the event, a record-breaking number which demonstrates how much the event is continuing to grow. It is very clear that the event is continuing to expand, as the variety of topics concerning marine life that were covered at the event have expanded significantly, compared to previous renditions of the event. Aquaculture, marine biotechnology, fishing tackles, seafood, seafood processing and fishing equipment were all key sectors that the event catered to, giving attendees a much wider scope of topics to explore as they browsed the stands. The event was opened up by Dirctor Donald Lu from the Taiwan External Development Council, who gave welcome remarks, followed by Peter D M Chiang, Founder of Hanaqua Tech Inc, who discussed the aquaculture industry on a global scale, as well as international certification. Other expert speakers included Chao-nan Chen, Director of the Kaohsiung Industry Development Association and professor Masuma of Kindai University. Improving year on year There were several areas of the exhibition which also reflected the large area of growth within the aquaculture sector in Taiwan. One new feature was the ‘Fishing Tackle Exhibition Area’, which brought 16 exhibitors from all over the world to attend, including Abu Garcia from the US, Daiwa from Japan, Okuma, Etuoh, Anten and more from Taiwan. As a result of this new update, any fishermen also attended the event and brought new experience and interests to the aquaculture event. The event was also broadcast online live by several prominent members of the fishing industry. An exclusive indoor ‘Shrimp Fishing Experience’ was also held, which allowed fishermen to experience indoor fish shrimping and the queues to join this fun event proved its popularity.
Internet celebrities make live broadcasts at the indoor shrimp fishing experience
Along with this update, a variety of other specialised sections in the event included the Fishing Equipment and Technology Area, Seafood Process Area, Marine Biotechnology Area and Aquaculture Area. The International Aquafeed team were indeed very impressed to see a renewed focus on fish farming and aquatic technologies at the fifth rendition of the Taiwan International Fisheries and Seafood Show, which really reflects that the event is keeping updated on all the latest innovations in the sector. The event also boasted a great scope of international companies, speakers and attendees. In particular, Taiwan’s top product importers for fishery products are China, Norway, Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia, and companies from these countries flocked en masse to attend the event, as well as members from countries all over the globe. Seminars were also regularly held throughout the three-day event, the most prominent being the ‘World Aquaculture Techniques and Marketing Outlook 2019’ seminar, which featured discussions concerning the history of fishing and the current conditions of bluefin tuna, popular in Japan, by the Director of the Fisheries Research Institute of Kindai University. Professor Sheenan Harpaz of the Agricultural Research Organisation (ARO), Israel, also discussed innovation and research in Israel, particularly the concept of smart aquaculture development. Me Cesar Aurelio Morales Perez, the Regulations and International Trade Manager for Mexico, also discussed current market conditions and opportunities for cooperation in the industry. In total, seven remarkable seminars were hosted at the event, along with 16 presentations, no doubt the most popular being the ‘Cooking and Tasting Yummy Seafood Show, which brought to attendees some lovely marine cuisine which proved extremely popular. The Taiwan International Fisheries and Seafood Show will once again be held in 2020, and will no doubt be once again a great success in connecting people in the industry. Taiwan is now ranked the 21st country in terms of aquaculture processing and innovations, and it is clear that they are becoming a key location in the industry. The organisers, such as the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, My Exhibition and the Bureau of Foreign Trade, MOEA and The Kaohsiung City Government should be very proud of their achievements for the Taiwanese aquaculture sector.
The “2019 World Aquaculture Techniques & Marketing Outlook” seminars received enthusiastic participation
54 | December 2019 - International Aquafeed
One-on-one meeting between the exhibitors and buyers