An International Gathering
with its Heart in Vigo
The World Fishing Exhibition has its own history. Celebrated for the first time in 1963 in the United Kingdom as a biannual event, the first four shows were held at the famous Earl's Court and Olympia Hall. After the 5th exhibition, the show went on the road to other countries and in 1971 took place at The Royal Dublin Society were it was organized by the Irish Government. The sixth edition, which was the first in Spain, was held in Vigo in 1973. Thereafter it travelled to Marseille, Halifax and Copenhagen.
Vigo was short-listed in 1973 with other European ports and winning the Exhibition was a great honour for this great Galician Atlantic port and an important achievement for Spain too which was able to become in a few years, one of the leading fishing countries in the world both in terms of products and marketing of same.
From 1963 to 2003 the World Fishing Exhibition increased in both size and significance. Each show improved upon the last, both in the importance and number of companies showing as well as for the amount of international visitors it received.
For this reason, we hope that the next Exhibition; Vigo 2009, will once again surpass itself. Not only for what could be considered as normal growth of the event but also for the advantages offered to all concerned by its location.
In 1973, Vigo, Europe's leading fishing port, was elected to stage the World Fishing Exhibition. This Event had been celebrated five times in London and once in Dublin. The decision of the Organizing Committee ratifies the position of the local industry in the vanguard of the international fishing activity.
Another edition of the World Fishing Exhibition took place in 1985. Since the 1973 exhibition, two major events marked the evolution of the fishing industry: the 200-mile EEZ was introduced in the late 1970s, to gain legal access to the inshore seas of coastal nations.
Since the implementation of the EEZs, the Spanish fishing industry directed all efforts into seeking to become internationalized. Privatization of fishing zones gave the search for new forms of management and access to fishing resources urgent priority.
After the WFE Vigo´1991, changes were beginning to be felt in the fishing context, above all in the long distance fleet. The seizure of boats outside the 200 mile limit gave way to new formulas for the management of deep sea fishing resources and the RFOs...
The role of developing countries in the management of fishing resources has grown over the years. The so-called first generation agreements are now out dated as are most of those from the 'second generation'.
© 2008 | Comité Ejecutivo Exposición Mundial de la Pesca