Spain?s marine expo

The first major marine event of 2003 was held in Bilbao, the capitol of Spain?s Basque country. And, fittingly for a region with a centuries-old maritime tradition, Sinaval-Eurofishing showed strong growth in visitor and exhibitor numbers despite an uncertain economic climate and the devastation wrought upon the Spanish fishing industry by the oil slicks left by the sinking of the tanker Prestige.

The number of firms participating in the exhibition was up by 9%, to 604 on 201 stands. The 5,957 visitors represented a 7% increase from Spain and 31% from abroad, while 92% of the overall total ? 5,489 ? were trade visitors, a 10% increase on the 2001 show, reflecting a significant trend towards a more business-oriented event.

Northern Spain accounted for 73% of the visitors, though numbers were up from the eastern seaboard and Galicia, despite difficult circumstances following the Prestige disaster.

Foreign visitors totalled 368, from 36 countries, with the biggest numbers coming from France, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Morocco, Portugal and the United States.

Associated events

Sinaval-Eurofishing 2003 was also the stage for numerous parallel activities, including the 1st International Shipping Meetings, in which 122 companies and trade associations from countries the world over took part, and a conference on Maritime Transport of Natural Gas which attracted an audience of over 100 specialists from all the relevant areas. The seminar on gas tankers was opened by Antonio Casanova, chairman of Izar, and brought together speakers of great renown representing charterers, shipowners, shipbuilders and the ancillary industry.

Other topics dealt with over the four days of the event included “Protection of Personnel, Goods, Vessels and Ports”, “The Tuna Industry”, “Implementation of VDR?s and AIS”, “Co-operation Between Science and Industry”, “Research, Development and Innovation in the Shipbuilding Industry” and “Integrated Coastline Management (GIZC)”. Large audiences of trade specialists were attracted.

The Basque Maritime Forum, Fecipe (European Federation of Fishing Cities), Interatun (Inter-professional Tuna Organisation), Aedimar (Spanish Association of Maritime Ancillary Industries), Feicopesca (Spanish Federation of Associations for the Processing and Marketing of Fish Products) and Feopemed (Spanish Federation of Fishing Organisations) all held meetings.

Permanent exhibitions included the Sea Learning Centre (“Aula del Mar”), which exhibited the project for the training vessel Gure Izar, now being constructed, a collection of black and white photographs by Harry and Ford Jenkins entitled “Painting with Light: North Sea Fishermen in the Late 19th Century” and an exhibition by Aecipe (Spanish Association of Fishing Cities) on the differences and similarities between the country?s different fishing areas.

The Basque marine industry

The Basque country is notable today in marine terms for being about the only region in Europe to be building LNG carriers, with Izar?s Astilleros Sestao yard being active. Altogether, five shipyards build steel ships of a variety of types and sizes from big methane carriers to dredgers to ships to renew the Basque fishing fleet to double-ended ferries to vessels for the offshore industry, giant tuna freezers, and tugs. Many of these ships are designed by locally-based technical offices.

An auxiliary industry is also active in the region, ranging from marine engine manufacturers, notably Guascor, and some of Europe?s leading marine pump and deck equipment manufacturers as well as makers of gears, cooling and freezing equipment, water treatment plants, hydraulics and pneumatics, cargo access equipment, electric, electronics, chains, anchors and cables, and of course specialists in the fishing industry, making nets and other catch-handling equipment.