Canada’s Largest Exporter of Seafood Attends World’s Largest Seafood Trade Event

Nova Scotia leads the world for high-quality fish and seafood. The province is home to a diverse range of fresh seafood and seafood products from Canadian hard-shelled lobster and coldwater shrimp, to snow crab, white fish, and more – all harvested from the cold, pristine waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Eight Nova Scotia companies are attending the Global Seafood Expo exhibition and conference in Brussels, Belgium from April 21-23, 2015. Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global is the world’s largest seafood trade event. More than 25,800 buyers, suppliers, media, and other seafood professionals from 150 countries visit the exposition. Attendees come to meet with existing suppliers, source new products and network with other industry professionals. It is the global place where the seafood industry meets.

"As a seafood company located in rural Nova Scotia, participation in trade events, such as Seafood Expo Global, provides an opportunity for our business to build international relationships and expand into new markets,” says Barry Gidney, CEO of Gidney Fisheries Limited. “My business would not exist without it.”

Many of these companies are well-established, experienced exporters and are promoting their sustainable seafood products to key European markets.

This year’s exhibitors at the Nova Scotia pavilion include:

• Breakers Fish Company Ltd.


• Gidney Fisheries Limited


• Victoria Co-Operative Fisheries Ltd.


• Golden Alliance Canada Inc.


• Fisher King Seafoods


• Fishermen’s Premium Atlantic Lobster Inc.


• Zeus Seafood Inc.


• IMO Foods Ltd.

Nova Scotia Seafood Sector Quick Facts:

• Nova Scotia is home to more than 3,000 fishing operations
• 360 food manufacturing establishments (including 305 in seafood processing)
• Shellfish currently dominates landed values in Nova Scotia with lobster (49%), snow crab (9%), scallop (19%), shrimp (8%) representing 85% of landed values in 2013
• Seafood processing is a dominant sector, accounting for 42% of food manufacturing and 8% of total manufacturing revenues
• The value of seafood manufacturing shipments was projected to be $767 million in 2012
• Nova Scotia was Canada’s largest exporter of fish and seafood value in 2014 ($1.25 billion)
• In 2014, Nova Scotia exported 43% of the value of Canadian Lobster

This trade mission was organized in partnership with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).

Nova Scotia Business Inc. has a team of trade development experts, with sector and market know-how, dedicated to helping Nova Scotia companies enter and continue to pursue growth in markets around the world.

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More information on opportunities in Nova Scotia’s Seafood Sector.