FREDERICTON (GNB) – New Brunswick seafood companies are heading to Europe for the world's largest seafood show being held May 6-8 in Brussels, Belgium. The Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries will also be at the show to promote the provincial seafood industry.
"The new free trade agreement with the European Union has created a significant opportunity for our fishing and aquaculture sectors to develop new markets for our seafood," said Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Minister Michael Olscamp. "Developing new markets leads to increased sales as well as more jobs and prosperity here at home."
The Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global is the largest seafood trade event in the world. It attracts more than 25,000 buyers and suppliers of fresh, frozen, packaged and value-added seafood products, equipment and services from 145 countries.
The European Union is the world's largest importer of fish and seafood. When the new trade agreement comes into effect, tariffs as high as 25 per cent will be eliminated on key provincial seafood exports such as lobster, shrimp, snow crab and scallops.
New Brunswick companies in the Canadian Pavilion are:
● East Coast Seafood/Paturel International
● Partner Seafood
● Orion Seafood
● Breviro Caviar
● Cooke Aquaculture
● Connors Bros.
● Trico Seafood
● Produits Belle Baie
More than 7,000 New Brunswickers are employed in the province's fish and seafood industry.