BIM Announces exceptional line up of Seafood experts for ‘Our Ocean Wealth’ /SEAFEST conference on July 10 – Ringaskiddy, Cork

Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency will host ‘Food from the Sea’ a special breakout session at the upcoming ‘Our Ocean Wealth’ conference on July10 from 2.00pm – 4.00pm in Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork.

Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency will host ‘Food from the Sea’ a special breakout session at the upcoming ‘Our Ocean Wealth’ conference on  July 10 from 13.45pm – 15.45pm in Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork.

Developed to profile the importance and potential of Ireland’s ‘Blue Economy’, the conference forms part of an overall two day Maritime Festival which culminates in a family ‘SeaFest’ day on the July 11.

Following Ocean Wealth conference presentations from Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Mr. Simon Coveney, T.D. and a range of international marine experts and commentators, BIM will lead the afternoon’s discussion on the potential for Ireland’s seafood industry to continue to expand as a significant quality-led player on new global markets.

“Food from the Sea” will offer a seasoned speaker line-up to probe some of the most challenging issues currently facing the industry. Critical to those issues are Ireland’s ability to expand its raw material base; the pressing need for the sector to develop scale and the industry requirement to grow businesses that are simultaneously sustainable and economically viable.

Food futurist Christophe Pelletier will deliver the conference keynote address in “Robotics, Drones and Driverless Tractors- The Future of Food Production on Land and At Sea”. His presentation will focus on future drivers of technology and how they will shape new systems and change operation management; how technology has the potential to reconcile objectives in production, environment and consumer demands and how important the right mindset is to maximize advantages of technology.

Oyvind Oaland, Global Director Research & Development and Technical, Marine Harvest Group, Norway will focus on raw material in his presentation “We are what we eat, what we catch, what we grow”. Eight billion people will require an additional 42 million tonnes of seafood globally by 2030. How Ireland uses its raw material base to meet the needs of this growing global population will shape its ability to compete effectively for its global market share, delegates will hear.

Joe Gill, Goodbody, Ireland will offer a roadmap on how to effectively develop scale within Ireland’s seafood business. A large number of Ireland’s seafood companies are small-scale, often family-run firms with a turnover ranging from €3 million to €10 million. By 2017, BIM aims to have helped four Irish companies generate a turnover of over €50 million and Joe Gill will tell the sector how this target could be best achieved.

Belfast-based entrepreneur Peter Marshall will offer delegates an inside view on how he developed an alternative sustainability standard Global Trust Certification, now an international success story with operational projects in over 25 countries.

The afternoon will also feature a guest panel discussion which will be followed by an open question and answer session.

Register for "Food from the Sea"

Prompt booking is advised as entry numbers are limited. Further details will be announced this month.