Global Seafood Business Comes to Busan... 535 Fisheries Companies Hold Consultations Worth 1.6 Trillion Won

Busan International Seafood & Fisheries Expo Draws Exhibitors from 32 Countries to BEXCO

18,302 Visitors; Deals Worth 64.2 Billion Won in the Works

The global fisheries industry gathered in Busan. The Busan International Seafood & Fisheries Expo, which brought together 535 companies from 32 countries, wrapped up its three-day program. Business consultations between overseas buyers and Korean fisheries companies topped 1 trillion won, while export and distribution deals are also moving forward.

The Busan Metropolitan Government announced on November 13 that 18,302 people attended the 24th Busan International Seafood & Fisheries Expo (BISFE 2026), held from November 4 to 6 at BEXCO Exhibition Center 1. That was a 19.8% increase from 15,281 visitors last year.

This year's expo featured 1,300 booths set up by 535 companies from 32 countries. Compared with last year, the number of participating countries rose by two and the number of companies by 55. The number of booths also increased by 100. There were 167 overseas exhibitors from 31 countries, 14 more than last year.

The exhibition expanded beyond seafood products and equipment to include smart aquaculture, marine biotechnology, and startups and investment. Special pavilions showcased mackerel and fish cakes, two of Busan's signature seafood products, while a seaweed pavilion introduced Korea's seaweed industry and products. At seminars on the fisheries industries of different countries, held overseas for the first time this year, participants discussed industry trends and ways to cooperate.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is held at the opening of the Busan International Seafood & Fisheries Expo.

BEXCO

Notable results came from business-to-business consultations. A trade consultation event for overseas buyers, organized by the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, drew 98 buyers from 17 countries, a 22.5% increase from last year. An export consultation event jointly organized by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and BEXCO was also held for the first time this year, connecting eight buyers from four countries with Korean companies.

The two events held 1,306 export consultations worth approximately $85 million. Of these, 110 deals worth approximately $15 million are being pursued. Converted into Korean won, the consultation value was approximately 115.9 billion won, and the value of deals being pursued was approximately 20.4 billion won.

BEXCO President Lee Jun-seung said, "Consultations were held not only on global business but also on entering domestic distribution channels."

Twenty-four buyers took part in a consultation event with merchandising directors (MDs) from domestic distributors, a 60% increase from last year. A total of 333 consultations discussed deals worth 59.9 billion won, and 105 deals worth 4.3 billion won are being pursued.

At the global business consultation event, 276 consultations worth $132.54 million were held. The value of deals being pursued totaled $59.93 million across 159 deals. Combined results from the export consultation event, the event with domestic distributors, and the global business consultation event amounted to approximately 1.6 trillion won in consultations and approximately 64.2 billion won in deals being pursued.

Academic and networking events also addressed the fisheries industry's technology and workforce challenges. The program included the Marine Bio Business Connect Forum, the East Asia Sustainable Seafood Forum, the International Conference of the Korean Federation of Fisheries Science and Technology Societies, the Korea Aquaculture Technology Workshop, and the Busan Fisheries Policy Forum. About 1,000 people, including industry representatives and future professionals, attended the 10th Day for Fostering Marine and Fisheries Talent.

Shim Jae-min, head of the Busan Metropolitan Government's Marine Capital Strategy Office, said, "The number of overseas exhibitors and visitors increased, and we also saw tangible results from export and domestic distribution consultations." He added, "We will support local fisheries companies in expanding their sales channels at home and abroad and strengthening their export competitiveness."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.