Nexus of Food
Busan International Seafood & Fisheries EXPO (BISFE), organized by Busan Metropolitan City and BEXCO, will be held for three days from Oct. 29 (Thu) to 31 (Sat) at BEXCO in Busan. About 350 companies from 30 countries will attend the event. BISFE is the third-largest seafood and fisheries Expo in Asia, following the China Seafood & Fisheries EXPO held in Qingdao. The organizers are positioning the event as the best place for seafood and fisheries diplomacy in Asia.
Hosted by Busan Metropolitan City, BISFE has been certified by Union des Foires Internationales (UFI) and selected for eight years in a row as an “Exhibition of Bright Prospect” by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of Korea. This year, BISFE will provide a venue for the best seafood and fisheries diplomacy in Asia. Around ten high-ranking officials and three or four ministers and vice ministers from foreign governments are expected to participate in the event.
Last year’s event drew attention from the seafood and fisheries industries, as it was attended by Minister of Maldives’ agriculture and fisheries Ministry, Vice Minister of Senegal Maritime Affairs and Economy, the Agricultural Trade Officer of the United States Embassy in Korea, Chairman of Japan Fisheries Association, Director of Morocco’s Agriculture and Maritime affairs Ministry, and the Director of Thailand’s fisheries ministry.
It is certain that the director of Morocco’s agriculture and maritime affairs ministry and Senegal’s maritime affairs and economy minister will once again attend this year’s BISFE. According to sources, the director of Indonesia’s fisheries office, which participated in last year’s event, is considering attendance. In addition, it is being reported that a number of diplomatic envoys in Korea Myanmar, Japan, Jordan, the Marshall Islands, and the U.S., will attend BISFE 2015.
Accordingly, Busan Metropolitan City and BEXCO plan to considerably improve the performance of a trade consulting conference held last year, which produced an outcome of US$5.73 million worth of business consultations, by matching local enterprises with 745 foreign buyers. The event also contributed to boosting local demands in fisheries by inviting 800 large local and international logistics companies and retailers.
Unlike in the previous years, the registration for participants for this year’s event will closed earlier, in Aug. As of the beginning of July, approximately 200 companies have sent in applications for 430 booths. The registration process for participation is happening 20% faster compared with other years, too.
Song Yang-ho, director of Busan Metropolitan City’s Marine and Fisheries Bureau said, “BISFE is positioning itself as the best place for seafood and fisheries diplomacy in East Asia. We will enhance the role of BISFE as a trade platform for Northeast Asian countries to do businesses in fisheries, fishing equipment, and maritime materials. It will also be an effective venue to conduct diplomacy on issues relating to the marine territory by inviting influential personnel from Korea and abroad.”
Companies or buyers wishing to participate in BISFE can send in an application through the BISFE website (www.bisfe.com/eng), to the BEXCO Exhibition Team 1 by calling +82-51-740-7518, or to the Korea Fishery Trade Association by calling +82-51-231-8806.