FIMAR will occupy the Sanapú Pier this weekend with an extensive leisure program

 

The Minister of Economic Development, Industry, Commerce and Crafts of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Minerva Alonso; the councilor for Local Development, Employment, Solidarity, Tourism, Mobility and City of Mar of the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Pedro Quevedo; and the president of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, Beatriz Calzada, presented this Monday, June 3, a new edition of the International Sea Fair. FIMAR 2024 will premiere these days 7, 8 9 y de Junio a new location, in the Sanapu Pier, between the Poema del Mar aquarium and the Onda Atlántica Footbridge, once again as the regional event of reference for professionals in the nautical and marine-maritime sector and an event that promotes the blue economy and sea culture.

 

 

The International Sea Fair is promoted by the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council and Port Authority of Las Palmas, at a fair organized by the City Council of Mar of the city and Infecar, Gran Canaria Fair. 

 

More than 50 exhibitors have already registered for this 13th edition of the fair, which will have about 80 stands, an extensive citizen leisure program, children's area and restaurant area, in what has become the great event of the blue economy in the city and the Island. The Portuguese population of Viana do Castelo It will be the guest city at FIMAR 2024, which will feature a parade and a performance by the Canarian band Los Coquillos. The opening hours of the fair, with free access, will be from 10:30 a.m. to 20:00 p.m., on Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th; and from 10:30 a.m. to 15:00 p.m., on Sunday the 9th. 

 

 

The Minister of Economic Development, Industry, Commerce and Crafts of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Minerva Alonso, He pointed out that FIMAR is "very important in the plan we have for this Island." The objective of the fair, she recalled, "is to promote the blue economy, create a meeting space for companies, but also a place for recreation for citizens and where informative talks are also very important."

 

Along these lines, the island councilor added that "we want FIMAR to become an event with a wide range of activities related to the sea, where informative talks are going to have a very relevant role, with a large team of experts present at the fair".

 

Alonso indicated that in this 2024 edition the International Sea Fair will have about 50 registered companies, with about 80 exhibitors, where the different firms and entities represented will be able to exhibit their activity, their products or even their research work, in an environment open to citizens. 

 

Finally, Minerva Alonso thanked all the support and collaborations "that make the fair possible", both in terms of the participation of the firms and companies with a presence at the event as well as the academic institutions and the public administrations themselves "that collaborate throughout the organization. Regarding attendance forecasts, she pointed out that "this year we intend to surpass the attendance of the previous edition, which was at 15.000 attendees."

 

The councilor of Ciudad de Mar, Pedro Quevedo, highlighted that FIMAR continues to respect its founding objectives: “Create and promote sea culture among citizens, and promote the economic development of the blue economy.” 

 

Furthermore, he stressed that “the work done so far and the institutional cooperation have allowed the city to open to the sea. We can boast of quality, sustainable and innovative beaches; but also integrative maritime leisure, such as surfing, sailing, diving; and a consolidated maritime and tourism economy associated with the sea, through institutions such as the Port and the companies associated with the Cluster and FEMEPA. And, of course, the research work, both of the ULPGC and of professionals who allow us to use science to manage the environment.”

 

Quevedo recalled that the capital has been able to advance in the blue economy while maintaining and respecting its coastal and coastal identity and gave two examples of this: Vela Latina Canaria and the fishing neighborhood of San Cristóbal. 

 

Likewise, the City Council expressed its desire to "continue with the development of smart beaches", as has been done in recent years in the sandy areas of the capital of Gran Canaria, a pioneer city in the implementation of these tools.

 

For her part, the president of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, Beatriz Calzada, He stressed that “the Port of Las Palmas offers an incomparable setting to host the International Sea Fair, where sea culture, environmental awareness and the blue economy prevail.” In this sense, he stated that the Port of Las Palmas is the economic engine of the Archipelago, Gran Canaria, and its capital, “it is a powerful generator of employment and wealth and the ideal place to establish business relations in the marine-maritime environment. which is one of the objectives that FIMAR pursues.”

 

Calzada emphasized that the Sanapú Pier, the place chosen this year for the fair, takes on special relevance “given that it is part of the Port-City project that we are developing and that it will become a friendly area integrated into the city for the recreation of the citizenship". Thus, he recalled that the surroundings of the Santa Catalina and Sanapú Pier will be transformed into “a large green lung of 25.000 square meters, with a port identity”, where the future Port Museum and a Dual Vocational Training center will be housed. 

 

However, Beatriz Calzada explained that, as part of the activities offered by FIMAR, the Port Authority of Las Palmas offers guided boat tours of the inland waters of the Port of Las Palmas. These will be at 11:00, 13:00, 15:30 and 17:30 on Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th; and at 11:00 and 13:00 on Sunday the 9th.

 

Likewise, he indicated that two ships will also be exhibited so that the public who wishes can access the interior and visit them. Specifically, these are the Navy ship 'Meteroro' and the Maritime Rescue ship 'Miguel de Cervantes', both located at the Sanapú Dock.

 

The objectives of the fair

 

FIMAR's essential objectives are to offer the sector a specialized event to concentrate supply and demand, promote itself and establish business relationships; promote the blue economy in the Canary Islands; and disseminate and raise awareness about science and sustainability of the marine environment, promoting our seafaring traditions and sea culture.

 

At FIMAR, nautical, leisure and nautical sports, training, science and research in the marine environment, public institutions and institutions that develop an activity linked to the sea, other industry suppliers and even the transport sector are represented. nautical fashion. 

 

This edition of the fair will also focus on the concept of sustainable marine leisure, with which economic and social promotion activities on the beaches and coastline are compatible with environmental conservation and the care of biodiversity.

 

Program preview: Los Coquillos concert and parade

 

The FIMAR 2024 program (as always, free access) includes demonstrations on the Port's water surface, family activities and a children's area, a helicopter rescue exhibition from the Canary Islands Air Command, and boat visits to the Port ( without the need for registration, in order of arrival) and visits to the Navy, Maritime Rescue and Civil Guard ships.

 

The fair also houses a gastronomic area. And the agenda includes a concert by the band The Coquillos, scheduled for the last day, the 9 Juneat 13 hours. This day incorporates as a novelty the celebration of a pasacalles at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday at the FIMAR campus. 

 

Furthermore, within the informative aspect of FIMAR, special mention is required of the talks and presentations open to the public. In this edition, around thirty presentations will be given, in a format adapted to the event, in a clear, pleasant and friendly tone. 

 

The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria provides an extensive list of lecturers. From those integrated into the faculties of Marine Sciences or Philology to speakers also linked to the Spanish Algae Bank, the University Institute of Aquaculture Research (ECOAQUA), the Institute of Oceanography and Global Change (IOCAG) or the University Institute of Health Animal and Food Safety (IUSA). The Canary Islands Ocean Platform (PLOCAN) will also be present on a panel in which RedPROMAR and the Canarian Association of Maritime Collectors will have a reserved role. 

 

The experts will present their knowledge about topics such as evolution, climate change, the so-called “algae revolution”, the condition of the Canary Islands as “the ideal laboratory” to evaluate the planet's climate transformation, and the impact of ingesting microplastics. in fish, marine biodiversity or research in the oceans and the poles. 

 

Viana do Castelo, guest city

 

the portuguese city of Viana do Castelo This year it will be the guest city at FIMAR. With a great maritime and port tradition, this town in the North of Portugal will be represented in an event that connects directly with its historical past, as a strategic node in the great Portuguese discoveries, and its present, in which surfing has a strong presence. and its port activity. Viana do Castelo has 4 centers specialized in surfing, rowing, canoeing and sailing and was a European city of sports last year. 

 

In fact, Ciudad de Mar has organized, as parallel programming prior to the fair, some Technical seminars called Impulso Azul, which will be held on Thursday 6 June from the 10: 00 hours in the Marine-Maritime Innovation Center.

 

In these days, with the collaboration of the Gran Canaria Economic Promotion Society (SPEGC), the Canary Islands Maritime Cluster and INFECAR, to exchange experiences and promote student exchanges between the two European cities, with the ocean economy as a foundation.

 

The event, recalled the councilor of Ciudad de Mar, is open to the public, and will include the participation of institutional representatives and the world of surfing in this Portuguese city. They will talk about wave sports, nautical tourism and student exchanges through the European program Erasmus Plus.

 

Master talk by Manuel Carlier

 

Another complementary activity to the fair will be the programming of the keynote talk by the Doctor of Naval and Oceanic Engineering. Manuel Carlier, under the title 'Maritime transport: Importance for the world economy and medium-term trends', scheduled for this Tuesday, June 4 (18:30 p.m.), at the Marine Maritime Innovation Center (CIMM) located in the Puertos de Las Palmas Foundation Building. 

 

Registration for this free access talk can be formalized on the website of the Society for Economic Promotion of Gran Canaria (SPEGC), at this link.

 

Organization and collaborating entities

 

FIMAR is promoted by the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council and the Port Authority of Las Palmas, and organized by the City of Mar City Council of the city and Infecar, Gran Canaria Fair.

 

The Ministry of the Primary Sector, Food Sovereignty and Water Security of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), the Provincial Federation of Small and Medium-Sized Metal Enterprises and New Metal Technologies collaborate in the organization of FIMAR. Las Palmas (FEMEPA), the Maritime Cluster of the Canary Islands, REDPROMAR (Network of the Government of the Canary Islands for the monitoring and surveillance of marine life in Macaronesia), the Government of the Canary Islands, the Poema del Mar Aquarium, the Municipal Institute of Employment and Formation of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council (IMEF) and Coca Cola. 

 

*** Press accreditations: Media interested in covering the International Sea Fair, Fimar 2024, will be able to collect their accreditations at the technical office stand on Friday, June 7 between 10.00:11.00 and XNUMX:XNUMX.

 

 

**** Link to the FIMAR 2024 program: https://feriainternacionaldelmar.com/programa