India will host the next World Seafood Congress (WSC) 2026 to the Chennai Trade Centre. Since its inception in 1999, the Congress has travelled across Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, Ireland, Morocco, U.S.A., the UK, Iceland, Malaysia, and Portugal. Now, for the very first time, this event will be held in India, a country that has emerged as one of the most powerful voices in the global seafood trade.
Coorganized by the Department of Fisheries, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying of Government of India, with the International Association of Fish Inspectors (IAFI), an NGO recognized by the United Nations, this internationally biennial event brings together global seafood leaders, industry professionals, researchers, policymakers, and innovators to showcase the latest advances in the world trade of aquatic foods and address key issues shaping the sector. National Fisheries Development Board, Hyderabad, is the joint organizer of the congress with the support of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), NITI Aayog, Seafood Exporters Association of India, ICAR-CIBA, ICAR-CMFRI, NCSCM, FAITT, Indian Marine Ingredients Association (IMIA), and many more.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, is the technical partner for the event. FAO, Rome, UNIDO, Vienna, Austria, and WorldFish, Penang, Malaysia, have also extended their technical cooperation for the event.
World trade in aquatic animal and plant products has grown significantly and now has major impacts in terms of livelihoods and economic contributions. According to FAO, the value of world trade in aquatic animal products was forecasted to rise by 1.7% to USD 183.8 billion in 2025. In 2025, global exports for algae products were estimated to be approximately USD 15 billion, growing from USD 14.03 billion in 2024.
The choice of host for WSC2026 represents the importance of India as the sixth-largest supplier of seafood to global markets and the second-highest fish producer through aquaculture. During FY 2023-24, India exported a record high volume of 1.78 million tons of marine products worth in approximately USD 7.38 billion, with shrimp accounting for 70 per cent of this total. India’s fish production has increased from 2.44 million tons in 1980-81 to 18.40 million tons in 2023-24.
WSC 2026 will feature a congress program that includes plenary sessions, technical presentations, workshops, and panel discussions. Special pre-congress workshops are part of WSC 2026 that specifically address the challenges faced by Asian and African countries in participating in the global trade of aquatic products. Delegates will also have opportunities to network with international stakeholders, explore innovations, and exchange knowledge for strengthening the seafood value chain. Industry visits will also complement the program.
The concurrent trade fair at the World Seafood Congress offers a platform to showcase the latest innovations in equipment for processing, supply chains, packaging, testing, analytics, and certification, empowering seafood export businesses to accelerate their trade and export capabilities.
To encourage maximum participation, the WSC, along with an array of activities, IAFI is sponsoring a poster competition, and through its prestigious Peter Howgate Award will support attendance by young fisheries professional. Likewise, abstract submissions are currently open, inviting everyone to present their work under designated thematic areas. This will provide a significant opportunity for professionals to showcase their work to a global audience of peers, policymakers, and industry leaders.
The deliberations for the abstracts revolve around thematic areas such as, role of seafood trade in nutrition and livelihoods, challenges in seafood regulation, inspection, and control, science, processing technology, and utilization of aquatic products, challenges in the circular economy for fishery and aquaculture products and more.
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