Five steps to sustainable seafood

For us, more sustainable seafood means a world with three things: Firstly, preserving natural resources through the implementation of responsible fisheries and aquaculture practices; secondly, greater inclusivity and access to resources and markets; and third, more economic opportunity, community empowerment, and less food insecurity.

The fisheries and aquaculture sectors are rightfully recognised for their crucial role in food production and global food security. The latest “State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture” (SOFIA) report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) shows that in 2022, these sectors hit a record high, producing 223.2 million tonnes of food worth $472 billion. The report also notes that in 2021, people around the world consumed 162.5 million tonnes of aquatic animal foods, with an average annual growth of 3% since 1961, when only 28 million tonnes were consumed.

Alongside being essential sources of food and nutrition, fisheries and aquaculture are major contributors to livelihoods. Globally, almost 62 million people are employed by these sectors, mostly in small-scale operations. That is already a vast number, but when factoring in the entire blue food value chain, subsistence fishers and their dependents, it is estimated some 600 million people rely on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods, with a massive 500 million in small-scale fisheries.

Unfortunately, and despite significant achievements in recent times, seafood production – whether it is wild-caught or farmed – is not without its issues. Noting it still faces major challenges from climate change and disasters, water scarcity, pollution, biodiversity loss, and other anthropogenic impacts, FAO urges accelerated efforts to ensure 100% of fishery stocks are placed under effective management – to reverse unsustainable practices, combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and to reduce overfishing. On the aquaculture side, environmental impacts need to be minimised alongside enhanced animal health and food safety, and all this needs to be achieved while improving yields and supporting livelihoods, especially within vulnerable communities and populations.

Nevertheless, there’s good reason for optimism, particularly with the increased mobilisation of industry leaders and supply chains. The Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) is a multi-stakeholder partnership focused on promoting improvement, problem solving, and cooperation in wild-capture seafood and aquaculture supply chains. As a public-private network of NGOs, governments, and organisations, we work closely with the FAO toward the same goal: to preserve oceans for future generations and push for more sustainable seafood for everyone. Our overriding purpose is to give more people more access to more sustainable seafood.

For us, more sustainable seafood means a world with three things: Firstly, preserving natural resources through the implementation of responsible fisheries and aquaculture practices; secondly, greater inclusivity and access to resources and markets; and third, more economic opportunity, community empowerment, and less food insecurity.

Our experience and successes to-date have affirmed that achieving a sustainable seafood industry requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses ecological, economic, and social dimensions. We further maintain that this is best achieved through the following 5 aligned but very separate steps:

STEP 1: COLLABORATE GLOBALLY AND PRE-COMPETITIVELY
GSSI is of the firm opinion that to foster a sustainable seafood industry, international, pre-competitive collaboration is crucial. This allows for cooperation among industry players, governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders across borders and sectors to share knowledge, resources, and best practices without the constraints of competition. Regulation and voluntary measures must go hand in hand. We also maintain that only together and with a shared vision on the development of seafood supply chains can we hope to initiate actions at the pace and scale needed.

STEP 2: EXPAND CREDIBLY CERTIFIED SEAFOOD
Certification plays a critical role in verifying that seafood products meet global sustainability standards. It is also a means to empower industry and stakeholders to design, implement, and revise management decisions and to ensure compliance with regulations and market expectations. This leads to safer, more resilient production systems, improved livelihoods, and long-term resource sustainability.

Similarly, with people’s increasing engagement on sustainability issues, especially regarding the food it eats, seafood can be a shining light for new generations of consumers. What’s clear, though, is that regardless of whether a fish comes via a fishing boat or from a farm, people want to know exactly what it is that they’re eating, particularly that it’s what it claims to be, that it’s safe to consume, and that no social or environmental risks have been taken in getting it to their table. Certification is regarded as a key pathway to achieving this aim, which is why we now see several organisations in the seafood space offering standards and certifications for responsibly produced wild and farm-raised species.

STEP 3: GET SMALL-SCALE PRODUCERS ON THE PATH TO SUSTAINABILITY
Of course, certification is not the only tool in the box. Indeed, approximately 85% of the seafood currently available in the world is not certified by a credible, recognised scheme. Therefore, supporting uncertified fisheries and producers in programmes that enable these entities to elevate their standards and best-practices will have a tremendous, positive impact for everyone involved. At the same time, inclusive sourcing ensures that all players in the seafood supply chain, including small-scale fishers and farmers, are supported in their journey towards sustainability. This means providing access to resources, training, and markets that can help them adopt sustainable practices and accelerate their efforts.

In recognition of these needs, GSSI, together with the sector, developed Seafood MAP. This globally inclusive digital platform seeks to compile and accelerate fisheries and aquaculture efforts on the pathway to sustainability. Furthermore, by building the global demand for more sustainable seafood, Seafood MAP furthers the impact of currently existing sustainability commitments by all actors and leverages opportunities for growth in the sector.

STEP 4: INCREASE FOCUS ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
With regards to supporting social responsibility efforts, it should be acknowledged that seafood is one of the most-traded foods in the world. SOFIA 2024 confirms some 70 million tonnes of seafood products (live weight equivalent) worth a record $192.2 billion were exported in 2022. By comparison, exports totalled just $7.9 billion in 1976. While this growth is worthy of our recognition, it is also important we understand that seafood is one of the most at-risk industries from a social sustainability perspective where limited safeguards to protect workers are prevalent. For example, it is widely accepted that fishing is one of the world’s most hazardous occupations – therefore, ensuring safe and decent working conditions for all in fisheries and aquaculture remains one of the biggest challenges. It is also true that despite playing a critical role in the sector, many small-scale producers face the most unstable working conditions.

Ensuring social responsibility within the seafood industry means protecting the rights and well-being of workers, promoting fair labour practices, and supporting those communities involved in seafood production, especially the most vulnerable communities and populations. It is further documented that the consumption of fish and shellfish provides important essential nutrients in many local diets, in particular minerals and vitamins, as well as being affordable for low-income populations – thereby ensuring access to nutritious foods for some nutritionally vulnerable populations.

STEP 5: INCENTIVISE POSITIVE CHANGE
Finally, we maintain that providing incentives for sustainable practices encourages industry players to invest in sustainable methods. These incentives can include but are not limited to price premiums for certified products, subsidies, or grants for sustainable innovations. The opposite is also true, that governments must stop subsidising unsustainable practices such as overfishing.

With healthy eating as a dominant food trend, and the wide acceptance by the public that seafood is the best source of marine Omega-3s, an integral part of healthy living, the long-term global demand for seafood is certain to continue to rise at an increasing rate. Again, fortunately, it is widely maintained that while covering over 70% of Earth’s surface, our oceans still only contribute an exceedingly small fraction of the world’s total food supply. It is within their scope to produce much, much more. And with any substantial increase to terrestrial food production unlikely due to declining yield rates and general land and freshwater scarcity, the onus really is on the seafood economy to provide a great deal more healthy and sustainable food.

What’s clear then is that while the blue food space is highly complex, with many elements and challenges at play at the same time and comprising a vast array of different species and products that are produced in many different regions around the world in many different ways, it’s also an area with fantastic long-term opportunity – a truly viable means to meet the world’s future food requirements, particularly if it puts sustainability and the 5 steps I’ve highlighted at the heart of its strategy.

About Øyvind Ihle
Øyvind Ihle is the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI). Ihle holds a wealth of experience from across the seafood and marine ingredients industry, having held various leadership roles in sustainability and innovation. This Norwegian native has dedicated the past decade to promoting health and sustainability in seafood value chains, in companies such as BASF (Omega-3), DSM/Veramaris (algae feed ingredients), and Avramar (seabass and seabream farming). Most recently, Ihle has been serving as a Board Member at Zooca (zooplankton for feed and nutraceuticals), and his efforts to change consumer habits for the better have earned him an invitation to support the Eat Seafood America campaign by serving Seafood Nutrition Partnership’s marketing committee.