Puerto Montt, March 19 – AQUASUR 2024 experienced its first day and did so through multiple milestones. The most important aquaculture fair in the southern hemisphere opened its doors and began the exhibition of its new technologies, products and innovations by more than 480 exhibitors, representing more than 1,800 brands from 20 participating countries.

In its 12th version, the fair organized by FISA of the GL events Group, and which takes place between March 19 and 21 at the TMP Logistics Center in Puerto Montt, held an opening ceremony that summoned high authorities from all over the country and the southern zone, foreign representatives, industry referents, and workers of the sector, the second most productive in the country after mining.

“We hope to continue contributing as a meeting point for the entire value chain in order to contribute to the national economy, especially if we consider that, if we are talking about economic reactivation, AQUASUR generates more than 3,000 jobs, more than 12 MUSD of direct impact in Puerto Montt and its surroundings and in 2022 exhibitors and visitors declared to have closed more than 150 million dollars in business,” said Francisco Sotomayor, ceo of GL events Chile and executive director of Fisa.

“Between Tuesday and Thursday, 11 panels with more than 60 panelists will reflect on issues related to the present of aquaculture, under a common concept: the blue transformation and how aquaculture is key to the food of the future,” added the executive of the organizing firm.

The event, which took place in the plenary of the fair, was attended by many national and regional authorities such as the Mayor of Puerto Montt, Gervoy Paredes; the Regional Governor of Los Lagos, Patricio Vallespín; the United States Ambassador to Chile, Bernadette Meehan; the Brazilian Ambassador to Chile, Paulo Pacheco; the State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, Even Tronstad; the executive director of the Salmon Council, Loreto Seguel; the president of SalmonChile, Arturo Clément; and Chile’s Undersecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Julio Salas, who spoke about the current state of the industry.

“No government of any political persuasion can set an objective other than the development of economic activity, and aquaculture is the country’s second largest exporter. Therefore, it is evident that we must pay particular attention to how aquaculture, particularly salmon farming, is developed. Many times the emphasis on the sustainable character of salmon farming is read by the industry as if it were a questioning of the existence of the activity. But, on the contrary. We believe that the existence of the activity depends on increasing its social legitimacy and its social legitimacy depends on making it more sustainable and more sustainable every day”, said the government representative.During the ceremony, a public-private agreement called “Project Yelcho” was also signed with the participation of SalmonChile, the Salmon Council, the Agriculture and Livestock Service and Sernapesca. The document addresses the development of a vaccine against SRS, one of the greatest challenges facing the Chilean aquaculture industry and which seeks to reduce the use of antibiotics in the sector.

The ceremony ended with the traditional ribbon cutting and the delegation immediately toured various stands and areas of the fair, such as the Danish pavilion, the exhibition of the host TMP, sites dedicated to SMEs and a pavilion dedicated to companies from Norway, one of the world leaders in aquaculture.

In addition, the long-awaited International Congress began, where the challenges of the sector will be discussed with the presence of leading experts in the area.

During the days of the fair, 11 panels will be held with the participation of more than 50 national and international speakers who will reflect on topics related to the present of aquaculture, under the common concept: the blue transformation and how aquaculture is key to the food of the future, the prospects of producing countries, the challenges and new technologies.

Press contact: Michelle Helguero: +56990162752 / Victor Garcia: +56998188154