The Conxemar fair “flooded” Vigo, as the event highlighted. It was not because of the rain that hit the city during and before the event, since despite the fog, traffic jams and full parking, the large influx of participants allowed a “historic opening in terms of participation “, in the words of the president. de Conxemar, Eloy García.
Among the 767 exhibitors who spread out from this Tuesday at the Vigo Fair Institute (Ifeve), you can find all kinds of seafood products, with seafood and fish as the protagonists. Meeting places for entrepreneurs from different locations and parts of the processing chain where a multitude of languages are heard, such as Spanish, Portuguese, English or Italian.
“A job well done” that they “celebrate” on its twenty-fifth anniversary, said the president of Conxemar during the opening ceremony of the fair, which will continue until Thursday in Vigo. García highlighted that the fair, of international importance, generates “235 million euros and 6,000 jobs in the sector” each year, where, in addition, the know-how makes it a “first-class” fair. An optimism that he qualified, however, after highlighting the decline in fish consumption, one of the essential challenges for the entire maritime sector.
The President of Conxemar gave way to the Deputy Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the FAO, Audun Lem, who emphasized the importance of the private sector in the implementation of sustainability measures, this which is part of the central motif of this edition. . “For FAO, the collaboration with Conxemar and the Spanish authorities is an example of joint, practical, efficient and constructive work which, I hope, will last for many more years,” concluded Lem.
For his part, the president of Abanca, Juan Carlos Escotet, took stock of a year in which he highlighted the increase in entrepreneurship in the world, which he interpreted as an unequivocal signal to “not give in to uncertainty and take steps, move forward”. “. In addition, he valued sustainability as a motto in a context marked by “the warming of the sea and the ocean, the change in maritime currents” and other “disturbances that affect maritime ecosystems”.
The Mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero, also spoke at the inauguration, highlighting the great importance that fishing and the industry that surrounds it have for Vigo, thanking the entire sector for being “heroes » when it comes to generating jobs and defending its role against the “supposed environmentalism” that attacks the sector. He concluded by emphasizing that the only drawback is that the fair does not take place at Christmas, to show the lights that the city exhibits every year, in a humorous tone.
Success of Sea-Industry Loss
After the mayor, the president of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, spoke at the event, addressing the audience, emphasizing the need to “continue growing”, but without losing sight of “sustainability”, not only environmental, but also economic and. social. The regional head highlighted the importance of opening the debate on offshore wind energy, explaining that it is necessary to “continue taking measures” to favor the interests of the Galician fishing and artisanal fishing sector, but also the economic development of other sectors, both “compatible” interests.
Likewise, he thanked the Government for the new campaign to promote fish consumption that the ministry plans to launch, but insisted on requesting a reduction in VAT on fish and meat, as was done for d other foods. After requesting a new call to Perte Mar-Industria, given that there were “many requests” from Galician companies with “good projects”, Rueda spoke of the “conversations” with the Zona Franca, hoping that they will lead to a “good result”. “Of course,” he added. These conversations, although without naming it, refer to a possible expansion of Ifevi between the two organizations.
Community funding for decarbonization
Responsible for closing the event was the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, who highlighted the importance of the sustainable maritime sector, which also implies “economic sustainability” as well as environmental. Likewise, he shared his pride for the “exemplary commitment” that Spanish fishing has demonstrated in favor of “sustainability”, being “an example throughout Europe and the world” for its “good practices” .
After celebrating the upcoming appointment of the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costa Kadis, he once again underlined the need for Brussels to emphasize the economic and social impact produced by its proposals, as it does already on their environmental impact.
Furthermore, he stressed that community funding will be necessary to decarbonize the fishing fleet, since it would be an incomprehensible task for the sector alone, and highlighted the importance of the Loss Mar-Industria, indicating that it is about “a great success” and that it remains open, indicating that it can be “expanded” if necessary.
