GLOBEFISH looks forward to continuing its collective and un-biased approach towards reporting fish trade and market news worldwide.

2014

GLOBEFISH celebrates 30 years as an expert on international fish trade and markets. Read the testimonials here.

The COFI-FT expresses support to FAO’s capacity-building activities and those of the FIN. GLOBEFISH becomes an Honorary Member of IFFO, the Marine Ingredient Organization.

2012

With Russia joining the WTO, all major fisheries countries have become WTO members. GLOBEFISH and EUROFISH organize a regional workshop on WTO issues in Russia the following year.

Approval of the FAO Technical Guidelines on Aquaculture Certification. GLOBEFISH intensifies its capacity-building activities on certification and participates in a number of stakeholder events. Publication of the FAO Fish Price Index by GLOBEFISH. Its origin is in an earlier GLOBEFISH publication on fish price indexes. For the first time, fish and fishery products are included in the annual OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook.

A joint FAO-WHO Expert Consultation on the Risks and Benefits of Fish Consumption is held. GLOBEFISH begins addressing nutritional issues and fish consumption in its programmes.

Publication of the first edition of the Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products including the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) approach by the Codex Alimentarius (WHO/FAO). GLOBEFISH upgrades its services on market access requirements related to quality and safety on its website.

Approval of the FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fish Trade. They focus on market and trade issues as outlined in Chapter 11 of the Code of Conduct. GLOBEFISH increases its emphasis on market access in its capacity-building work.

Viet Nam joins the WTO. GLOBEFISH starts capacity-building activities in Viet Nam on the WTO accession the following year.

Approval of the FAO Guidelines for the Ecolabelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries. They are subsequently revised in 2009. GLOBEFISH begins including certification issues in the agendas of its regional workshops.

2002

Publication of a new GLOBEFISH series, the Market Reports. Reports are made freely available on the GLOBEFISH website, which quickly attracts a record number of visits.

INFOSA, Marketing Information and Technical Advisory Services for the Fisheries Industry in Southern Africa, is created as a sub-regional office of INFOPECHE.

WTO Member Countries launch the WTO Doha Development Agenda, the “Doha Round”, with the objective to improve the trading prospects of developing countries in particular. GLOBEFISH begins its programme of regional workshops on the Doha Round for the fisheries sector.

FAO Members adopt an International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IPOA-IUU).

China, the world’s largest producer, processor and exporter of fish, joins the WTO. Over the next decade, GLOBEFISH and INFOYU implement a joint capacity-building programme for the Chinese fisheries sector with the inclusion of dispute simulation exercises.

GLOBEFISH assists China to set up the special information unit INFOYU, which becomes part of the FIN.

GLOBEFISH participates as an exhibitor at the Brussels Seafood Show for the first time.

Eastfish, a FAO project, is created. In 2002, Eastfish becomes EUROFISH, an international organization to serve the needs of the fisheries sector in Central and Eastern Europe.

As a result of the Uruguay Round, the World Trade Organization (WTO) is established. GLOBEFISH starts its capacity-building programme on WTO issues.

The FAO Conference adopts the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.

Launch of the GLOBEFISH website, a website which is used as a global information source on relevant market access issues with timely reports on the major seafood commodities.

Start of the GLOBEFISH Research Programme, with market studies on a variety of relevant topics.

Launch of a new GLOBEFISH publication series, the Commodity Update, providing comprehensive statistics for each major seafood commodity.

Publication of the first issue of GLOBEFISH Highlights, a detailed update on market trend analyses for the major seafood commodities.

GLOBEFISH co-organizes the first International Cephalopods Trade Conference, the initial event of a long conference series on seafood commodities including shrimp, small pelagics, hake and tilapia.

In its first session, the FAO Sub-Committee on Fish Trade recognizes the work of four existing FIN offices (INFOPESCA created in 1977, INFOFISH in 1981, INFOPECHE and GLOBEFISH in 1984), marking it as the start of a worldwide network for fish marketing development support. INFOSAMAK is established, while three additional offices will be launched later: EASTFISH/EUROFISH in 1996, INFOYU in 1997 and INFOSA (a sub-regional office of INFOPECHE) in 2001.

The GLOBEFISH databanks for news items and statistics are developed.

Publication of the first issue of the GLOBEFISH European Price Report, prepared in collaboration with private companies. Additionally, the GLOBEFISH Price Information System, including historical price series, is initiated.

GLOBEFISH is established by the FAO World Fisheries Conference: "The international fish market indicator system, GLOBEFISH, was supported by the Conference." Paragraph 118 of the Report of the FAO World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development, Rome 27 June – 6 July 1984.