March 18, 2024 – The seafood industry has faced strong headwinds over the past two years, and the system of financial institutions supporting it didn’t have it any easier.
A panel of financial experts at Seafood Expo North America, which ran from 10 to 12 March in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., said 2022 and 2023 represented one of the toughest operating environments for lenders and financial institutions in recent memory.
March 11, 2024 — FMI – The Food Industry Association’s Power of Seafood 2024 report highlighted declining U.S. retail seafood sales in 2023, but also revealed preparing seafood at home has grown incresaingly popular since the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report, released during a conference session at Seafood Expo North America in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., on 10 March, found U.S. seafood sales revenue declined 3.1 percent to USD 18.9 billion (EUR 17.3 billion) in 2023. By category, frozen seafood realized the largest drop in revenue, decreasing 5.8 percent to USD 6.8 billion (EUR 6.2 billion). Fresh seafood sales dropped 3.5 percent, dipping to USD 6.2 billion (EUR 5.7 billion).
March 11, 2024 — Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, produced by Diversified Communications, has opened in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., for its 42nd edition on 10 March 2024.
During the three-day expo, exhibitors will demonstrate their latest innovations and build lasting relationships with North American buyers. The expo runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, 10 March and Monday, 11 March, as well as from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, 12 March at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
March 6, 2024 — The full itinerary of onsite experiences, events, and networking opportunities at the 42nd edition of Seafood Expo North America, taking place 10 to 12 March 2024 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., has been released.
This year’s schedule will include events at the new Wave Makers’ Zone, located at booth #3165, an area that will serve as a networking hub for industry leaders, and a platform to showcase the latest market innovations and discoveries. The Wave Makers’ Zone will host the new product showcases, the annual Seafood Excellence Awards, live recording sessions at The Podcast Reef, a women in the seafood industry networking event, demonstrations, and the expo’s annual oyster-shucking competition.
March 5, 2024 — After months of anticipation, it is time once again for the Seafood Expo North America / Seafood Processing North America – the largest gathering of seafood professional on the continent – to take over Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
The 2024 iteration of the expo kicks off this Sunday, 10 March, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center and will continue through Tuesday, 12 March.
January 17, 2024 — The 2024 edition of Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America – the largest seafood event in North America – will continue the show’s growth trajectory in its 42nd edition.
The event, running from 10 to 12 March in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. is currently slated for 244,965 net square feet of exhibit space and is still growing, event organizer Diversified Communications said. This growth builds on the momentum set in motion at last year’s event, when the show increased by 25 percent in size year over year. [Editor’s note: Diversified Communications also owns and operates SeafoodSource.]
December 19, 2023 — The 2023 Seafood Expo North America, which took place 12 to 14 March in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., and the 2023 Seafood Expo Global, from 25 to 27 April, 2023, in Barcelona, Spain, featured a comprehensive conference program of live panel events focusing on topics chosen to be of vital interest to the seafood industry.
The 28 individual presentations from SENA and the 21 sessions from SEG featured exclusive information and insight from seafood industry experts, including economic forecasts and analysis on the trends and topics impacting the global seafood industry as it navigates issues of trade, food safety, traceability, aquaculture, sustainability, and consumption trends. Now, a video recording of each of these sessions is available for on-demand replay.
September 10, 2023 — In a momentous celebration of Boston’s rich seafood heritage, the iconic Fish Pier in the Seaport will close to the public on Sunday, Sept. 10, to be used exclusively for the annual Boston Seafood Festival.
According to Chris Basile, president of the Boston Fisheries Foundation and founder/CEO of Seawitch Inc., the festival is a year-round labor of love. There will be food vendors, kid activities, an oyster shucking contest, fish cutting demonstrations and more.
“It’s to celebrate the seafood industry in Boston,” said Basile on Boston Public Radio. “As you know, Boston is the hub of the universe when it comes to seafood. More fish is shipped in and out of Boston than almost anywhere.”
One of the key players helping to keep Boston’s seafood industry alive — and located right on the pier — is Denarius Trading Co., founded by Paul Vincent Hagan III.
February 21, 2023 — Coastal lawmakers presented several pieces of legislation Thursday that would advance Massachusetts’ marine industries while also focusing on wildlife conservation and habitat protection.
The state’s blue economy entails a wide spectrum of jobs from fishermen to tech workers. It’s currently valued at $8.2 billion, according to lawmakers, and between 2009 and 2019, Massachusetts’ blue economy grew by 38%.
The legislation was introduced with the support of the New England Aquarium in Boston, indicating a slightly new and involved role in state policy for the 54-year-old institution.
“Right now, the commonwealth is at a pivotal moment where the blue economy is projected to grow even further,” said Vikki Spruill, president and CEO of the Aquarium, at a press conference to unveil the legislative package. “But the growing industrialization of the ocean combined with the warming waters in the Gulf of Maine is threatening, and in some cases causing significant changes, to our coastal ecosystems.”
February 3, 2023 — Seafood Expo North America, also known as the Boston Seafood Show, may be nearing a return to pre-pandemic times.
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, and the subsequent cancellation of the event in 2020 and 2021, the Boston Seafood Show had attracted more than 22,000 seafood industry professionals from around the world. While the event finally made its return last year, it was a different experience than previous years. Some companies chose to attend but not exhibit, others cut down on full culinary and demo booths, and some, who were still under strict travel restrictions, decided not to attend at all. Less than two weeks out from the show, event organizers Diversified Communications reported that they were at 70% of the size of the 2019 event with 830 exhibiting companies in over 180,0000 sf of exhibit space.