The 2024 Seafood Expo Asia, organized by Diversified Communications, will feature a series of in-depth conference sessions for seafood professionals to learn about timely topics relevant to the Asian seafood industry. [Editor’s note: Diversified Communications owns and operates SeafoodSource.]
The educational conference program, taking place alongside the exhibit hall on 4 to 6 September 2024 in Singapore, will highlight expert-led discussions around seafood traceability, cell-cultured seafood, Latin America’s role in the Asian seafood market, sustainable seafood supply chains in Southeast Asia, sustainable seafood consumption in Asia, and more.
Traceability and sustainability will be prominent topics covered this year. A session led by the Marine Stewardship Council will discuss how a robust traceability system and sustainable practices can help the Southeast Asian seafood industry address consumer demands, mitigate environmental impacts and position itself as a leader in the global market. Another panel, presented by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, will analyze the status and potential of the responsible seafood market and consumption in Asia and the importance of responsible aquaculture practices. Policy and business professionals from The Nature Conservancy, Seafood Legacy, the Ministry of Agriculture of Taiwan and more, will cover topics around illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, its threat to sustainability, and the need for seafood transparency and traceability schemes.
Aruna Co-Founder and Chief Sustainability Officer Utari Octavianty, named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 and Top 100 Asia-Pacific Women-Powered lists, will lead a discussion around how Aruna’s technology helps small-scale fishers in Indonesia cut the long lines of the seafood supply chain, ensuring fishers get fair prices and access to a wider and more stable market. Octavianty will also be featured in a panel that will discuss the ways to raise the profile of women in the seafood industry and how to attract diverse talent. Other speakers in this panel include Norwegian Seafood Council Regional Director Åshild Nakken, Affectus Managing Director Jill Briggs, and more.
Ambassadors from Chile and Argentina and seafood industry representatives from ProEcuador, Ecuador’s Sustainable Shrimp Partnership, and Panama’s Messina Holding will present their perspectives on Latin America’s role in Asia’s seafood market. The panelists will discuss the unique qualities of seafood from each region and address initiatives, practices, and certifications in Latin America, supply chain and trade support as well as success stories and examples of efficient logistics and trade routes.
Cell-cultured seafood, or protein derived from muscle cells grown in a lab, will be covered in a session around how the innovation is shaping the industry, its potential to address consumer concerns around issues of mercury, antibiotics, and microplastics contamination, bycatch, overfishing, or labor abuse and Singapore’s leadership in cultivating the industry.
Six entrepreneurs will present their latest innovations in aquaculture and the seafood supply chain on an investor panel. The startups focus on technology that can transform the seafood industry and create a more sustainable future with solutions in areas such as shrimp farming technology, upcycling aquafeed ingredients, novel diagnostics, seaweed aggregators, and others.
Seafood industry professionals can learn more about Seafood Expo Asia and register to attend for free by visiting www.seafoodexpo.com/asia.
