Global leaders in seafood step up its actions for ocean sustainability

Cermaq and nine other of the world’s largest seafood companies will increase their efforts to strengthen sustainable practices in the seafood industry.

SeaBOS is one of the partnerships where Cermaq engages to strengthen sustainability and meet the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This is the third meeting of the CEOs from the SeaBOS member companies from Asia, Europe and America. Together with science partners, these companies collaborate in the Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship (SeaBOS) initiative, with the objective to take leadership on ocean sustainability. The meeting took place in Karuizawa.

“The level of commitment we have from all the ten SeaBOS members is very encouraging, and I believe SeaBOS will have a real impact in meeting SDG14” said Cermaq’s CEO Geir Molvik

In line with the SeaBOS charter, the meeting resulted in an agreement to address key topics affecting ocean health and seafood sustainability, including Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and modern slavery. SeaBOS companies are now piloting and testing new technologies for traceability in their global supply chains and will actively engage in the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability to improve existing global standards. All companies are commited to transparent reporting and have an ambition to substantially reduce their use of antibiotics in aquaculture and use of plastic materials in their supply chains. SeaBOS furthermore aspires to play a leading role in improving global ocean policy and regulations in support of ocean stewardship.

In the dialogue, the SeaBOS organization was also formally established with the appointment of Shigeru Ito, CEO and President of Maruha Nichiro Corporation – the largest seafood company in the world, as the first chairman of the SeaBOS initiative. Knut Nesse, currently CEO of Nutreco, was appointed managing director of SeaBOS as of January 1^st.

“SeaBOS is a global coalition between companies with a strategic vision to actively contribute to addressing the ocean stewardship challenge. I am committed to making this initiative a great success and ensure that we take on a global responsibility“, said Mr Ito.

“The ocean cannot wait and we have the responsibility to make a difference. We now have a solid financial and institutional basis for this young initiative and I am very happy to accept this new position as SeaBOS director”, said Knut Nesse.

The SeaBOS charter including its ten commitments for ocean stewardship can be found on www.keystonedialogues.earth