Asian nations are embracing marine aquaculture as the solution for depleting wild stocks and as a source of sustainable protein for its people.

Across the continent, fish stocks have decreased dramatically and farmed fish is now more common on many dinner tables than wild-caught fish.

According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, aquaculture will need to supply 2/3 of the world’s seafood requirements by 2030. Without aquaculture, the world will face a seafood shortage of 50-80 million tonnes by then.

The United Nations recently said aquaculture operations needs to be intensified as there will be no fish stocks for commercial fishing by 2048 in Asia.

Few countries can match Canada’s natural advantages when it comes to aquaculture—an enormous coastal geography, an abundance of cold, clean water, a favorable climate, a rich marine and fishery tradition, and established trade routes to the United States, Asia, and Europe.

Add innovation, research, and science, and you can see why representatives from over 40 seafood companies are making a beeline for the upcoming 2018 B.C. Seafood Expo on Vancouver Island.

“The BC Shellfish and Seafood Festival and the BC Seafood Expo attracts incredible interest from a range of international media, as well as seafood buyers,” said John Watson, the executive director of the Comox Valley Economic Development Society.

“This year the visiting nations include, Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, USA, China, Vietnam, and Thailand,” he said.

Over the last two years the BC Seafood Festival has worked with the BC Salmon Farmers and BC Shellfish Growers to host 40 seafood buyers each year – the majority from key Asian markets.

Over that time, sales of farmed salmon alone in Asia has grown by more than four times the volume from under $10-million in value to almost $40-million in value.

The BC Seafood Expo is one of the largest seafood industry trade events in the Pacific Northwest attracting suppliers, buyers, distributors, producers, industry leaders and government representatives to network, meet and grow the seafood sector.

Here are some of the Asian seafood companies and buyers attending this year’s Seafood Expo;

Pan Fish (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. was founded in 2000. The Company's line of business includes preparing fresh and raw or cooked frozen fish and other kinds of seafood and seafood preparations, such as soups, stews, chowders, fishcakes, crab cakes, and shrimp cakes.

COFCO Womai is a fast-growing food e-commerce company in China, owned by COFCO, which is China’s largest food company. Among other things, COFCO is a food importer, exporter and is the largest bottling partner of Coca-Cola company in Mainland China. The company focuses on providing healthy food, living space and services from renewable natural resources.

The Consulate is one of Indonesia’s fine dining establishments. It offers an unparalleled dining experience in the luxury of a seasonally changing menu that is set in an authentic ambiance of colonial Spanish Heritage architecture.

Tsukiji Uoichiba Co., Ltd. of Japan is mainly engaged in the wholesale of marine products. The Company operates in three business segments. The Marine Product Wholesale segment is engaged in the processing and sale of fresh processed marine products. The Refrigerated Warehouse segment is involved in refrigerated warehouse business, as well as the provision of cargo handling services in refrigerated warehouses. The Real Estate Leasing segment is involved in the leasing of real estate properties.

Tokai Denpun Co. Ltd. operates as a trading company in Japan. The Company distributes, imports, and exports a range of products including starch, agricultural products, seafood, livestock products, oils and fats, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and packing materials. Tokai Denpun also processes and manufactures food, animal feed, and fertilizers.

Shinsegae Food engages in the food manufacture, food distribution, restaurant, and consignment meal service businesses in South Korea. It offers soups, stews, casseroles, salads, processed meat, sauces, noodles and rice cakes, baked goods, and fresh foods; and supplies food to a range of customers, such as restaurant franchises, food manufacturers, and hotels and resorts.

Siam Food Services Limited (SFS) is a firmly established player in the Thai food distribution business has been around since 1984. It specializes in the distribution of temperature-controlled and value-added international brands of high-quality meat, seafood, and ethnic food products.

Here is a list of international representatives attending the Seafood Expo 2018

China Shenzen North‐South Import LTD China

Pan Fish (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. China

COFCO Corporation Woman E‐commerce China

Shanghai Jingsji Import & Export Co. China

Gottfried Friedrichs KG Germany

Family Care Ltd. Hong Kong

Jeton International Foods Limited Hong Kong

Brahman Farm Indonesia

Dog Palace Indonesia Indonesia

The Consulate Restaurant & Bar Indonesia

Blessing of Pantai LCC Japan

Tsukiji Uoichiba Co., Ltd. Japan

Tokai Denpun Co., Ltd. Japan

Emart South Korea

Shinsegae Food South Korea

ELBON International Co., Ltd South Korea

Siam Food Services Thailand

Wild Harvest Seafoods. LLC USA

Truong Royal Seafood International Trading Limited Company Vietnam

BACH SON TRADING AND SERVICE CO.,LTD Vietnam

TDFOOD / CAPITAL PRODUCTION AND INVESTMENT Vietnam

Hoang Le Tin Son Trading Co. LTD (Calisa Foods) Vietnam

B.C. Trade and Investment representatives from Indonesia, the EU, South Korea, USA, China, Philippines and Japan will also be on hand at the Seafood Expo 2018.

About the BC Seafood Expo

The Expo features over 50 Trade Show exhibitors, leading speakers in their fields and provides a venue to network with industry leaders, international buyers, distributors, and educators for every type of fish, seafood, and seafood-related products and services.  (bcseafoodexpo.com)

The  2018 keynote speakers include; entrepreneur, lawyer, and best-selling author, Calvin Helin and president of the Seafood Nutrition Partnership, Linda Cornish. Attendees can indulge in the two networking lunches as well as the International Buyers Reception, which features top domestic chefs, the best of BC seafood, and a delegation of international seafood buyers, all taking place within the Expo trade show area.