Foodservice & Hospitality (HORECA)
Purchasing Managers

Over the past two decades, per capita seafood consumption in Japan has nearly halved as more Japanese consumers opt for red meat and poultry, which is more affordable and easier to prepare. In this diminishing market, where are the opportunities for global seafood and aquaculture suppliers targeting Japan? What are the promising products, forms, and channels? What shapes the seafood taste and buying choices of Japanese consumers? Are consumers interested in global trends like sustainability? What are the cultural attitudes towards seafood versus aquaculture, and how do they impact the growth of the sectors in Japan?

With shifting geopolitical dynamics and high tariffs on seafood imports from Russia and Belarus, the U.S. seafood industry is uniquely positioned to expand its footprint in European markets. However, seafood from the western coast of the U.S. includes a variety of species that are unfamiliar to many chefs, buyers, and consumers in EU markets. This session explored the potential for U.S. West Coast Seafood in EU markets and answered the question – ‘why choose West Coast seafood?’ – for EU buyers.  Key topics covered included:

• EU procurement trends: buyer specifications, pricing of west coast seafood, and duties updates
• Opportunities for Western U.S. seafood in the EU Markets: consumer sensory perception for fresh vs frozen fish, product quality data, market research, and sustainability
• Seafood Butchery: Albacore tuna butchery demonstration and sample tasting
• Product Innovation: Culinary and value-added potential for Western US seafood in EU Markets

In recent years, oysters have transcended their traditional role as a seafood offering to become a premium experiential food. This evolution is driven by the rise of curated oyster tastings, educational masterclasses, and immersive farm tours—transforming oysters into an artisanal product while elevating oyster farms into sought-after lifestyle brands. This panel will explore how these experiential trends, along with the development of an oyster service standard and professional credentialing, can be applied across the live shellfish sector to enhance consumer engagement, boost sales, and promote sustainability.

The panel will feature insights from international producers, educators, and service providers who have successfully transformed oyster experiences by emphasizing merroir, sustainability, and craftsmanship. With the oyster and hospitality industries increasingly embracing formal education and specialist certification—similar to standards already in place for wine and specialty coffee—the live shellfish sector is uniquely positioned to strengthen its premium standing. By fostering deeper consumer connections through knowledge and expertise, oysters offer a blueprint for how similar initiatives can inspire growth and innovation across the broader shellfish industry.