Collaborations advance global seafood sustainability

For nearly 20 years, Monterey Bay Aquarium has worked to shift global seafood production in more sustainable directions—because fishing and aquaculture, done the wrong way, can do great harm to the ocean and ocean wildlife. What started as the Aquarium’s consumer-focused Seafood Watch program has blossomed to engage major seafood buyers, producers and governments in seafood-producing countries around the world.

The global impact of our work took several steps forward this fall at the international Our Ocean Conference in Bali, Indonesia—in ways that will be felt in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Since the inaugural conference in 2014, Our Ocean has brought government officials, business leaders and NGOs together to make measurable commitments that will improve ocean health. This year, the Aquarium was part of two significant collaborations that will make the global seafood supply more sustainable.

Minh Phu Seafood Corporation, a major global shrimp processor and exporter, announced plans to improve the environmental sustainability of 20,000 small-scale shrimp farms in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. The farms aim to achieve a sustainability level equivalent to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program’s Best Choice rating by 2025.

The commitment is a partnership with the Aquarium, seafood inspection company SGS, and the Asian Seafood Improvement Collaborative (formed by seafood producers in the region, with the Aquarium’s support, to improve the sustainability of the region’s shrimp farms and fisheries). The collaborators will also work with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to improve governance and support sustainable development.

The commitment will address key challenges for small-scale shrimp farmers by significantly scaling up the improvement projects, training and tools they need to become sustainable producers. The collaborators will provide funding and technical support for infrastructure and improved farming methods, engage in government outreach, and build capacity through training and education.

Vietnam is the world’s second-largest producer of shrimp; this commitment is expected to impact about 10 percent of the country’s black tiger shrimp production by 2025.

Overcoming the unique challenges of small-scale farming in Southeast Asia will require new approaches and tools. Our commitment illustrates how the private sector can invest in the sustainability of small producers to make measurable changes that support livelihoods, a sustainable blue economy and the health of the ocean.

Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who works with the Carnegie Endowment and the Aquarium on the initiative, acknowledged that the work won’t be easy. “But this commitment shows the resolve to roll up our sleeves and build capacity that is necessary to address the unique needs of small-scale shrimp farmers in the Mekong Delta,” he said.

Another major seafood producer, Thai Union, announced an investment of $73 million through 2025 to improve the sustainability of seafood production in key regions, with a focus on Southeast Asia. 

The investment is part of a new collaboration called SeaChange IGNITE, a partnership between the Aquarium and Thai Union’s Chicken of the Sea brand, with support from the Carnegie Endowment. SeaChange IGNITE aims to drive improvements throughout the seafood supply chain—bringing more sustainable seafood products to the North American market.

Initially, the collaboration will focus on blue swimming crab and farmed shrimp, and address key challenges in moving them toward Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch “Good Alternative” and “Best Choice” ratings. In turn, this will provide new opportunities to supply sustainable products to the North American market.

For nearly 20 years, Monterey Bay Aquarium has worked to move global seafood production in a more sustainable direction. This commitment is an important first step in accelerating sustainability in fisheries and aquaculture in Southeast Asia and will serve as a model for engagement for NGOs, governments and seafood producers.

“Thai Union is very excited to work with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Monterey Bay Aquarium on this important new sustainability initiative,” said Dr. Darian McBain, Thai Union’s global director for sustainable development. “This is a great example of how collaboration among key stakeholders can effectively address the sustainable development challenges in modern supply chains.”