On October 5, 2026, the mayor of Vigo pointed out the gathering of experts, institutional representatives, and business leaders from around the world to outline the future of the fishing sector during the opening of the 'XIV International Smart Blue Leaderships Congress' organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Ministry of Agriculture, and Conxemar.
"This is a meeting of cooperation, for those who wish to exchange knowledge and opinions about all the seas and oceans of the world to achieve better, healthier, and more efficient food from the sea, creating jobs," the mayor stated at the start of the congress, which precedes the 27th edition of the International Frozen Seafood Products Fair, Conxemar.
The mayor noted that new technologies and the increasing use of artificial intelligence in various processes of the sector "must continue to be used for a better understanding of cooperation and to achieve a better world, not for a techno-oligarchy to dominate worldwide."
He congratulated the organizers of Conxemar for bringing together key stakeholders from science, business, and government in the advancement of humanity and the improvement of the quality of life, well-being, and nutrition for thousands of people.
Eloy Alvariza, president of Conxemar, emphasized that the future of aquatic food will be international, stating, "We have the opportunity to do it right through cooperation."
Miguel Bernal, executive secretary of the FAO's General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, highlighted that "proper management of various fisheries generates resources generation after generation" and that "effective fishery management works."
Isabel Artime, Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, recognized the fishing sector as "strategic" to the Spanish economy and thanked it for adapting to the new European framework following the implementation of a digital traceability system for catches. She called on third countries to join a control process that "benefits us all."
