SFP in Boston

Seafood Expo North America

Highlights from Seafood Expo North America 2022

Seafood Expo North America returned to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center from March 13-15, after a two-year hiatus.

Our team had a very productive time at the Expo, seeing old friends and meeting new ones, and making connections with colleagues and partners who support our goal of a world where 100 percent of seafood is produced sustainably.

See below for highlights from the show:

Supply Chain Roundtable Meetings

SFP’s Amber Von Harten with Willy Roselle, president of Seafarers, Inc., the newest participant in the Indonesian Snapper and Grouper SR

The Indonesian Snapper and Grouper SR met to receive a preview of results from a study that assessed the feasibility of engaging small-scale snapper/grouper fishers and developing co-management approaches to support FIP progress. Results found support for engaging fishers in sustainability efforts through building leadership and organizational capacity and development of co-management approaches in key communities.

Demian Willette introduced SR participants to the Seafood Tracer traceability tool

The Global Octopus SR met to review recent SR activities and learn about some exciting new technologies in seafood traceability. Demian Willette, from Loyola Marymount University, presented to the SR on Seafood Tracer, a new traceability tool that can be used at every step of the supply chain, from producers to final consumers. The tool is being tested in octopus fisheries, which are some of the most complicated fisheries, with the expectation that if it works for octopus, it can work for any other species.

SFP’s Carmen Gonzalez-Valles with Juan Redini, president of CAPA

The highlight of the Global Squid SR meeting was the formal launch of the Argentina Shortfin Squid – jig FIP, led by the Argentine Chamber of Jigger Fishing Vessels Shipowners (CAPA). Juan Redini, president of CAPA, presented the workplan for the FIP to the SR participants, reviewing the history and progress of the FIP, current improvement needs, and next steps. The FIP is currently prospective, and SFP is supporting CAPA to move the FIP to active status as soon as possible.

Bycatch Solutions Open House

Our Bycatch Solutions Open House highlighted the latest gear innovations and bycatch solutions for addressing fisheries interactions with endangered, threatened, and protected species. Visitors to the open house had the opportunity to learn about Hookpod International’s hook-shielding innovations for pelagic longlines, non-entangling and biodegradable FAD and rope technology from the International Seafood Sustainability Forum (ISSF), bird scaring lines and circle hooks, and crab and lobster traps from EdgeTech and Ashored Innovation that use on-demand acoustic release rope and buoy technology to eliminate static fishing lines that pose entanglement risks to whales.

At the open house, we also unveiled our new Solve My Bycatch Problem tool, an online, interactive tool that provides a visual evaluation of methods to reduce wildlife bycatch in tuna longline fisheries, based on their relevance to specific species, effectiveness, ease of implementation, and cost.

Solve My Bycatch Problem Tool

Buyers from Publix Super Markets learning about ropeless crab and lobster traps from an EdgeTech representative

SFP on the agenda

Huey Chu of Mai Shi Group, Kevin Easter of Sysco, Adriana Sanchez of Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, Francisco Takahashi of Coinrefri, and Amber Von Harten

Amber Von Harten, SFP’s Global Mahi SR director, moderated a panel of Peruvian and US seafood companies at the launch of the Peru Alliance, a pre-competitive partnership of 13 Peruvian mahi companies that is formally assuming the leadership of the Peru mahi-mahi – longline FIP. WWF, PromPeru, and SFP collaborated on supporting the launch event focused on the industry leadership of the FIP by PMA.

Anton Immink of ThinkAqua, Roy Van Daatselaar of ASC, Dave Martin of SFP, and Jill Swasey of ASC

SFP Program Director Dave Martin participated in a panel on “Integration of Seafood Certification: Scaling Improvements in Aquaculture.” The panelists discussed a joint project by SFP, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), and Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch to develop an alternative pathway to sustainability for aquaculture producers, by creating a standardized way to measure the progress and performance of farmers who are not yet certified, through the use of the aquaculture improvement project (AIP) model.

Watch a recording of the panel.

Carmen Gonzalez-Valles of SFP, Sarah Hussey of Sea Farms, Sam Grimley of Sea Pact, and Braddock Spear of SFP

SFP’s Global Policy Director Braddock Spear hosted a panel on “Combatting IUU Fishing: The Case of High Seas Squid.” The panelists emphasized the importance of companies joining together to use their collective leverage to address the challenges of illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) squid fishing. A highlight of the panel was the announcement that 16 members of the Squid IUU Prevention Working Group, which was formed by some members of SFP’s Global Squid Supply Chain Roundtable (SR) have committed to address IUU fishing through new and strengthened purchasing policies.

Watch a recording of the panel.

Aquaculture Improvement Projects front and center at the Expo

Aquaculture improvement projects (AIPs) were very much on the menu at Seafood Expo North America this year.

While individual projects may focus on different species and geographies, an event held by the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) and a panel hosted by ASC, SFP, and ThinkAqua highlighted how AIPs are a way to bring multiple stakeholders and supply chain actors together to drive improvements across whole landscapes – an approach that also supports farms becoming certified.

“We are delighted to see the AIP concept being promoted by international certification schemes and wholeheartedly support these initiatives,” said Paul Bulcock, SFP’s aquaculture information manager and curator of the AIP Directory. “The AIP Directory has already welcomed two new ASC projects to the AIP family, and we encourage others to join the independent one-stop AIP portal.”

SFP at the Expo

SFP’s booth was a popular spot on the convention floor!

SFP in the news

SFP and our partners were featured in a number of news stories coming out of the Expo:

Our Supply Chain Roundtables were highlighted as an example of effective industry leadership in Expo Today, the official publication of the show.
The new Argentine shortfin squid FIP and the launch of the Peru Mahi Alliance were featured in one of the most-read stories about the Expo.
After we announced our new partnership with Thai Union, the world’s third-largest seafood company, the news made headlines around the globe, including The Bangkok Post, Food Industry Executive, Nation’s Restaurant News, European Super Markets, Aquafeed, and IntraFish.