19 March 2010
Moncton, New Brunswick
Atlantic Canadian delegates participating in the 2010 International Boston Seafood Show have returned home after spending three days meeting with potential buyers, building relationships and negotiating deals. While in Boston, the delegates showcased their products to an international audience at an Atlantic Canadian pavilion where Atlantic Canadian chefs created a special menu featuring products from the region.
The delegation of 22 businesses and organizations was led by the Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of National Revenue, Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway.
“ACOA continues to play a key role in helping Atlantic Canadian companies capitalize on their export potential and raise international awareness of their products and services,” said Minister Ashfield. “The International Boston Seafood Show is the major annual North American event where Atlantic Canadian seafood companies showcase the outstanding quality of their products and services, and build on their already strong trade relationships.”
Top-tier seafood buyers from around the world met with delegates throughout the show in on-site meeting rooms set up within the Atlantic Canadian pavilion. Atlantic Canadian delegates also attended networking events, educational sessions, receptions, and one-on-one meetings with key industry players.
This year, for the first time, ACOA, the Consulate Generalof Canada in Boston and Boston University’s Programs in Food and Wine Studies organized a culinary demonstration aimed at Boston area chefs. During the event, Atlantic Canadian chef Alain Bossé provided ideas on how to incorporate Atlantic Canadian mussels and lobster into restaurant menus from the Boston area.
“The show exceeded our expectations,” said Lori Kennedy, Co-owner of Louisbourg Seafood, in Louisbourg, Nova Scotia. “We teamed up with Holland College’s Culinary Institute of Canada who used our product to prepare internationally-themed samples for visitors to our booth. We felt this helped attract international clients that we hope to maintain contact with and hopefully do business with down the road.”
“The seafood show was larger than I expected and our presence allowed us to establish many valuable contacts. It was well worth the effort to be here,” said Chief Darlene Bernard, Chair of Minigoo Fisheries in Lennox Island, Prince Edward Island. “Over the coming weeks and months we will be busy following up with the contacts we made and establish business relationships for our company.”
The Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association, which represents 95% of farmed seafood producers in Newfoundland and Labrador, was also at the show. Executive Director Cyr Couturier says valuable new contacts were established. “Many of our producers attended the show and made interesting contacts with potential buyers in the United States. This was a strategic objective of ours as we are working hard to expand our presence in the U.S. market,” said Mr. Couturier.
“Once again, the Boston Seafood Show has been a major event on Cooke Aquaculture’s calendar,” said Nell Halse, the company’s spokesperson. “Our True North Salmon booth was a hive of activity with members of the sales team connecting with customers, visitors trying out an interactive food miles game and hungry guests enjoying delicious eco-certified salmon, cod or mussel appetizers prepared by Chef Chris Aerni and Lisa Riordin of the Rossmount Inn. We were especially pleased to be able to announce a new partnership with Legal Sea Foods who are now featuring our eco-certified salmon in all of their 30 seafood restaurants. All in all, it was a very successful show.”
Each year, some 16,000 buyers and sellers from more than 90 countries, plus close to 800 exhibitors participate in the International Boston Seafood Show. ACOA invested $150,000 in the trade mission, through its Business Development Program, to enable the delegation to meet directly with buyers from around the world. The trade mission was organized in cooperation with Innovation PEI, which worked in close collaboration with the four provinces of Atlantic Canada.
Atlantic Canada’s seafood industry employs over 35,000 people and generates export sales of $2.4 billion in 2009, making it the region’s second largest export sector.
FOR BROADCAST USE:
Atlantic Canadian delegates participating in the 2010 International Boston Seafood Show returned home after spending three days meeting with potential buyers, building relationships and negotiating deals. During the event, delegates expanded their business contacts, secured leads for long-term export sales and participated in valuable industry networking events. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency led this trade mission made up of 22 seafood businesses and organization representatives from the region.
Minister Keith Ashfield said that ACOA continues to play a key role in helping Atlantic Canadian companies capitalize on their export potential and raise international awareness of their products and services. ACOA invested $150,000 in the trade mission to this year’s Boston Seafood Show, through its Business Development Program.
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INFORMATION:
Richard Gauthier
Communications Coordinator, Parliamentary Affairs and Media Relations
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
506-851-6773
MEDIA BACKGROUNDER
Following is the list of the Atlantic Canadian exhibitors that participated in the ACOA-led trade mission to the 2010 International Boston Seafood Show:
Nova Scotia
Louisbourg Seafoods Ltd. (Louisbourg)
St. Mary’s River Smokehouses (Sherbrooke)
Davis Strait Fisheries Ltd. (Halifax)
Fisher King Seafoods (Halifax)
Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Halifax)
New Brunswick
True North Salmon Company Ltd. (Black’s Harbour)
Darro Seafoods (Memramcook)
Gourmet Chef Packers Ltd. (Shediac)
Partner Seafood Inc. (Shediac)
New Brunswick Department of Fisheries (Fredericton)
Newfoundland and Labrador
Ocean Choice International L.P. (St. John’s)
Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (St. John’s)
Whitecap International Seafood Exporters (St. John’s)
Quinlan Brothers (Bay de Verde)
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (St. John’s)
Prince Edward Island
Future Seafoods (Salutation Cove)
PEI Mussel King (Morell)
BJ Trading & Marketing (Montague)
Ocean Choice PEI Inc. (Souris)
Minigoo Fisheries (Lennox Island)
The Culinary Institute of Canada (Charlottetown)
Innovation PEI (Charlottetown)
