The 31st edition of Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global concluded with record-setting momentum, drawing over 35,000 professionals from across the seafood supply chain to Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Vía venue.
For three days, the world’s largest seafood trade event served as a vibrant hub for global suppliers and buyers to connect, explore new trends, and address the pressing challenges shaping the future of the industry.
Spanning over 51,217 net square meters of exhibit space across six exhibition halls and the Galleria, the event brought together 2,187 exhibiting companies representing 87 countries. A total of 68 national and regional pavilions underscored the event’s global reach, contributing to an estimated economic impact of more than €156 million for the host city.
This year’s edition saw first-time participation from countries and regions such as Albania, Egypt, Georgia, Greenland, Malta, Nigeria, and Réunion. Among the new pavilions were organizations like the Agencia de Gestión Agraria y Pesquera de Andalucía, Brazil’s Apex-Brasil, the Japan Federation of Soy Sauce Manufacturers Cooperatives, ProEcuador, the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, Spain’s IVACE, and Pakistan’s Trade Development Authority.
“The exhibit floor was full of energy over the past three days as a truly international meeting place for the global seafood industry to achieve their annual business objectives,” said Wynter Courmont, Vice President of Seafood at Diversified Communications. “Exhibitors and visitors alike use this global platform to strengthen relationships with existing clients, connect with new prospects, build strategic partnerships and stay informed about the latest industry developments.”
Product innovation was front and center, with companies presenting offerings across a spectrum of seafood categories including fresh, frozen, canned, value-added, processed, and packaged goods. For many, the event also offered a crucial vantage point on global trends.
“We are getting very good exposure at this show and at the same time, we are also able to meet a lot of new clients and existing clients. We also see the product development from all over the world, and this is a showcase for us to understand what happens in the fisheries,” said Mohamed Ameen Sait, Managing Director of Sea Pride LLC of Oman. “We are getting a lot of inquiries and new clients, and at the same time, we also have access to a lot of different countries’ information and products. We are now bringing our product to other parts of the world, and we can’t wait to maintain and upgrade our processing lines.”
Seafood Processing Global, the dedicated counterpart of the event, featured a comprehensive lineup of companies offering the latest in packaging materials and machinery, freezing and refrigeration technologies, primary and secondary processing equipment, sanitation solutions, and quality assurance services.
“There’s no other way to access global seafood suppliers all in one place… everybody we want to talk to is here at Seafood Expo Global,” said Andrew Lively, CEO of Ocean Perfect. “I have been coming to Seafood Expo Global for over 14 years and there’s no question that every year, there are new things to see, new people to meet and new things to learn. The people we are most interested in showing our system to are here.”
The accompanying conference program featured over 20 sessions led by more than 80 international experts, addressing key topics such as aquaculture, traceability, sustainability, consumer behavior, market trends, global trade, and regulatory developments.
The Expo also spotlighted industry excellence through the Seafood Excellence Global Awards, which honored Vičiūnai Group of Lithuania with Best Retail Product for its Cold-smoked Atlantic Salmon with Truffles, and Kalaneuvos Oy of Finland with Best HORECA Product for its Trout Bacon. The two winners emerged from a shortlist of 40 finalists.
Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global is scheduled to return to Barcelona from April 21–23, 2026, continuing its role as a premier destination for the international seafood industry.
Find out more at: http://www.seafoodexpo.com/global