Day Zero
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Day Zero Program
Improving Accountability + Transparency: What Can We Do Together?
Harbour Suites
Please note that the Day Zero conversation is a closed session. If you wish to attend, you must have registered and had your attendance confirmed by Alliance staff in advance of the event. See below for registration information.
This interactive Day Zero session is designed for a limited number of NGO leaders who are deeply engaged in work advancing accountability and transparency across the seafood sector. The session will create space for an honest and strategic discussion about where collaboration can meaningfully strengthen existing and planned efforts.
Through facilitated dialogue, participants will explore four core questions:
* What are we honestly and realistically willing and able to do together that complements individual or collective initiatives already underway or planned?
* What resources, partnerships, leadership, or commitments are needed to enable collaborative action—and who do we need them from?
* What concrete, measurable, and time-bound outcomes could we collectively achieve?
* Why is this work important to pursue together—now—under the CASS umbrella?
Attendees should expect a candid working session focused on identifying shared priorities, examining barriers to collaboration or progress, and defining actionable next steps. Insights from the discussion will help inform future CASS and member-led initiatives advancing transparency, accountability, and collective progress across the seafood industry.
Robin Teets | Aria Strategies
Please register your interest in attending the Day Zero session by completing the form below no later than July 1.
To support an open, honest, and productive dialogue, participation will be limited to representatives from NGOs, foundations, and pre-competitive collaborations. (Industry representatives will not be included in this session. Industry folks wishing to be involved in discussions on accountability and transparency are encouraged to participate in our summer series; please reach out to laura@solutionsforseafood.org for more information.) Attendance will be capped at approximately 20 participants. Participants will be selected to ensure a diverse mix of expertise, perspectives, geographies, and organizations relevant to advancing accountability and transparency across the seafood sector.
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Welcome Reception
Event details coming soon!
Let us be the first to welcome you to Halifax! We’ll gather before the conference begins to raise a glass and an oyster to the days ahead, catching up with the old friends and new colleagues who will shape our time together this week.
Day One
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Breakfast
Mezzanine
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Conference Opening
Welcome Ceremony
Atlantic Ballroom
A local Indigenous Elder will welcome our community and bless our time together.
Our Collective Progress
Atlantic Ballroom
A pre-conference survey will gather information from attendees that will help us measure our shared impact and progress as a community. We’ll begin the conference with a deep dive into our collective progress to-date and where we’re headed together.
10:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Break
10:45 AM – 12:30 PM
Fish Market
Atlantic Ballroom
Fish Market sessions are 5-minute presentations in plenary, followed by 45-minute small-group roundtable discussions. Attendees will hear all presentations and select one roundtable to attend.
Amanda Lejbowicz | Marine Stewardship Council
We invite all CASS members to bring their knowledge and experience into in a collaborative discussion to identify how we can jointly address the structural challenges faced by small-scale fisheries.
From the lack of storage and processing facilities to a fragmented supply chain, and the marginalization from global supply chains and decision-making circles, small-scale fisheries face multi-factorial challenges that require coordinated actions and expertise from a wide range of organisations.
The MSC Fisheries Standard is available to assess the environmental performance of any type of fisheries, whether certification is the end goal or not. We recognise that the Fisheries Standard alone cannot solve all the issues faced by small-scale fisheries, and that only a genuine effort between actors of the seafood sector could help move the needle in favour of small-scale fisheries.
If that resonates with you and that you want to explore how we could join forces to address the challenges faced by small-scale fisheries, we look forward to starting the discussion with you.
Cristina Liberati | SSF Tech and Markets Intermediary Collective
Cecilia Blasco | SmartFish AC
Serge Raemaekers | ABALOBI
Small-scale fisheries supply the majority of fish consumed for food globally and support the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people — yet they remain chronically underrepresented in the design of seafood traceability systems. Most existing traceability frameworks were built around industrial supply chains, with data collection requirements, IT infrastructure assumptions, and cost structures that are often out of reach for small-scale producers and the intermediaries who support them.
The SSF Intermediary Collective — a global network of over 30 NGOs, social enterprises, technology developers, researchers, and market intermediaries working at the interface of small-scale fisheries and markets — has been invited to lead a formal Small-Scale Fisheries Expansion Framework Dialogue within the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST). This process aims to develop a practical framework tailored to the realities of small-scale fisheries.
This Fish Market session will introduce the draft framework with Key Data Elements (KDEs) and Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) and invite participants into discussion at an important stage in its development. During the roundtable conversation, participants will explore key questions around feasibility, accountability, fisher value, and verification. Participants will contribute perspectives to an active international dialogue on how these systems can better reflect SSF realities.
Dalal Al-Abdulrazzak | Ocean Wise
Over the past two decades, eco-certifications and seafood rating programs have reshaped global seafood markets. But to what extent have these tools translated into measurable improvements in marine ecosystems? This session aims to critically examine the evidence linking market-based interventions to on-the-water outcomes. Through case studies and candid discussion, we will explore where impact can be demonstrated, where it remains uncertain, and how the field can evolve toward more rigorous, transparent, and meaningful impact measurement. The goal is to move beyond adoption metrics toward a shared understanding of what success looks like for ocean conservation.
Irene Kranendonk | Fish Tales / Sea Tales
Michelle Boonstra | Catch Welfare Platform
Catch welfare is increasingly recognized as an important dimension of responsible seafood production. While efforts to improve welfare at the point of capture are gaining momentum, the question remains how these improvements can be translated into value throughout the supply chain.
This Fish Market session invites all attendees, including seafood companies, fisheries, and other market actors to explore how improved catch welfare can be better recognized, communicated, and rewarded in commercial practice. Building on real-world case study from a tuna supply chain, participants will discuss how welfare fits within existing sourcing priorities, how it can be made visible and credible in the market, and what mechanisms could help translate better practices onboard into value for actors across the chain.
The aim is to jointly explore practical pathways for making catch welfare not only an ethical or sustainability consideration, but also a meaningful and actionable value driver in seafood supply chains.
Jesse Marsh | Scaling Blue / FIP Community of Practice
This initiative is a project of the FIP Community of Practice; the primary aim of the project is to compile and share the approaches and methodologies that non-industry FIP practitioners have used to secure FIP funding from their industry partners. The lessons learned will be packaged as a toolkit, with non-industry FIP practitioners (e.g., NGOs, government representatives, producers) as the primary audience. A companion “Funding FIPs 101” guidance document for industry will be developed based on the learnings from industry representatives identified during the project. This will include e.g., learnings related to funding specific aspects of FIPs, and why industry decided to provide financial support. Through desktop research, interviews with key stakeholders (FIP Community of Practice members, their partners, and industry representatives who have funded FIPs), and cross-sector dialogues, we will capture and share lessons learned to date and generate new ideas for how FIPs can more successfully secure industry funding.
During the Fish Market, our aim is to share the work done to date with conference attendees, hear their feedback on the findings/recommendations, and identify any potential collaborative opportunities.
Kaleb Eldridge | Fair Trade USA
The Certification and Ratings Collaboration has published information for businesses making seafood sustainability claims, which they can use to assess whether their claims meet the level of practice that we follow in our own programs. We will cover 1) seafood product claims, 2) claims about business participation in improvement programs, and 3) claims about progress against seafood sourcing commitments. We will discuss legislative developments that are changing the landscape of claims and labelling, challenges businesses may face in improving their claims and labelling (e.g., traceability, changes to supply, etc.), and what would help businesses improve their practices.
Lena Weiss | BalanceBlue Lab / New England Aquarium
Human interaction, specifically by entanglement in fishing gear or vessel strike, is the leading cause of death for the endangered North Atlantic right whale, occurring at a rate that is not sustainable for the species. Scientists have classified the North Atlantic right whale as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, putting them just one step away from extinction. Approximately 384 individuals remain. Gear innovation, such as on-demand (or ropeless) fishing gear offers a promising pathway to reducing the risk of entanglement by eliminating vertical lines in the water column. The gear is currently being utilized across Atlantic Canada, New England, California, and beyond, including fishers testing on-demand gear under special permits in areas that would otherwise be closed to fishing due to the risk of wildlife interactions. However, widespread adoption of on-demand fishing gear remains a long-term goal due to technical, operational, and cost-related challenges.
A critical and often overlooked barrier for early adopters of innovative fishing gear is the lack of recognition in the marketplace. Industry participants are not always aware of specific conservation issues within fisheries or the types of solutions that have been developed to overcome these challenges. In addition, while market incentives can help recognize early adopters and drive additional fishers to test innovative gear, supply chain complexity makes it difficult to separate these products. This session will use Atlantic Canada and New England as case studies as we explore the lessons learned, barriers, and solutions to differentiating early adopters of innovative fishing gear in the marketplace.
Michelle Beritzhoff-Law | FishWise
FishWise held its fourth Retailer Forum in March 2026, during which we outlined a number of initiatives/opportunities seeking retailer involvement. FishWise would like to share a summary of the feedback retailers provided on the initiatives, including specific benefits and barriers to the ‘ask’ associated with retailer involvement. While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, it’s helpful to understand the factors that impact a retailer’s ability to engage in an initiative, and which factors they viewed as beneficial.
René Benguerel | Blueyou
Across Asia, more than 1 Mil hectares of intertidal zones lie degraded, scarred by historical mangrove clearance, accelerated erosion and economic downturn. Vital ocean habitats are stripped of their regeneration potential. Coastal communities are caught in a vicious circle of economic and ecological downturn and left with no viable choices. Our MANIFESTO calls for precompetitive collaboration across sectors and dedicated action to accelerate restorative mangrove aquaculture as unique nature-based, community-inclusive solution and transform 1 Mil ha degraded land into thriving blue food forests..
Wakao Hanaoka | Seafood Legacy
As sustainability expectations reshape global seafood markets, East Asia is increasingly exploring how international sustainability frameworks can be adapted to the region’s complex market structures, supply chains, and social realities. At the same time, growing connections between East Asia, the Global South, and international seafood trade are creating both new challenges and new opportunities for collaboration on responsible seafood production and sourcing.
This Fish Market session will explore how civil society organizations, seafood industry actors, fishing and aquaculture communities, researchers, and market stakeholders across East Asia are working together to advance sustainable and responsible seafood systems. The discussion will highlight emerging regional efforts to strengthen traceability, improve environmental and social performance, and develop more locally grounded approaches and tools rooted in the region’s social, economic, and cultural contexts to enhance seafood sustainability.
Particular attention will be given to the role of cross-sector collaboration in bridging global sustainability goals with regional realities, including how East Asian stakeholders are contributing to broader conversations on blue food systems, ocean conservation, and responsible seafood trade in collaboration with counterparts from the West and the Global South.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Lunch
Mezzanine
1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Deep Dive Workshops
Attendees select one workshop to attend. We’ll break for 15 minutes at 2:45 PM.
The Missing Link – Aligning Procurement Practices within HRDD
Breakout Room
Key Themes: Social Responsibility | Business Engagement & Partnerships | Human & Labor Rights
Sara Lewis | FishWise
Helen Ripmeester | Oxfam America
Procurement practices are the missing piece in most company-driven HRDD. It is imperative for companies to self-reflect on the degree to which their purchasing practices align with company commitment, investment in due diligence activities, and supplier code of conduct. Procurement activities include everything from supplier vetting to contract terms to day-to-day sourcing to meet consumer demand, and therefore, are the ultimate levers for incentives and reinforcement across supply chains, and an internal mechanism for buyer accountability. Aligning seafood buying with social (and environmental) goals and investments is just good business, and necessary in order to truly mitigate human rights risks and abuse of workers.
This is a topic of growing interest, but as a seafood community, we have work to do to align on terms, expectations, and good practices. In this workshop, we will collectively delve into the specifics, the practicalities, and identify what needs to change in order to clarify a way forward and get greater industry adoption of aligned procurement practices.
We need you at the table for this interactive workshop so together we achieve the following objectives:
* Energize our seafood community around the opportunity that exists in aligning procurement practices to human rights commitments as part of due diligence
* Clarify the needed shifts from traditional assurance models and a one-way cascade of supplier expectations, toward a model where sourcing relationships and purchasing practices are the mechanism for enabling improvements and ensuring accountability
* Answer the question: To enable companies to do this work, how does the advisor role need to change when guiding companies in their HRDD implementation?
This workshop will be facilitated by Sara Lewis, Director of Programs at FishWise, and co-facilitated by Helen Ripmeester, Director Inclusive Value Chains and Private Sector, Oxfam America.
FishWise has a long history of advising and working with companies to implement their social, environmental and traceability commitments, with a particular focus on due diligence. Through their publicly available, free platform RISE (riseseafood.org), FishWise offers guidance, educational components and topical information to support companies in their Human Rights Due Diligence implementation, including the integration of procurement. In recent years FishWise has often presented on the topic of good procurement practices in seafood, and was a key advisor to the 2025 Oxfam report.
Oxfam is widely recognized as a leading civil society expert and advocate for responsible procurement in global supply chains. They specialize in the social, human rights, and environmental impacts of corporate sourcing, particularly regarding living wages and gender equality. Last year Oxfam released their report, Emerging Good Practices on Embedding Human Rights into Seafood Procurement, and has spoken widely about their research results.
Beyond Success Stories: Screw Ups & Tough Lessons Learned on the Sustainable Seafood Journey
Atlantic Ballroom
Key Themes: Responsible Seafood Movement | Our Shared Progress
Kelly Harrel | Ocean Outcomes
Jessica Hathaway | Hen of the Woods Consulting
Meaghan Hudgins | Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions
Serge Raemaekers | ABALOBI
The session is modeled on the global phenomenon of “F*ckup nights” designed to reduce the stigma around failure, build community, and accelerate innovation and learning. As such, we will aim to surface lessons learned (sometimes the hard way!) and to generate actionable insights that can inform future collaboration.
Over the past decade, the seafood sector has made significant strides in sustainability, traceability, and responsible labor practices. Yet progress remains uneven, and there have been plenty of missteps and screwups along the way.
While reports and lessons learned proliferate, many barriers exist to learning, acknowledging failures, and shifting what we do based on those lessons. This session creates space for a candid, solutions-oriented discussion that goes beyond highlighting successes. Through a short panel followed by a facilitated workshop, participants will reflect candidly on what has not worked and why (and where have we f-ed up!) and collaboratively identify practical shifts needed to accelerate progress.
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Break
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
2026 Responsible Seafood Awards
Atlantic Ballroom
Join us as we honor four community members making waves and demonstrating leadership in the movement!
NOMINATE A COLLEAGUEDay Two
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Breakfast
Mezzanine
9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
Keynote Address
Atlantic Ballroom
Karen Pinchin | Science Journalist and Author
Karen Pinchin is a Nova Scotia-based science journalist and author whose projects investigate and reveal how consumption, history, and technology shape our shared warming world. A graduate of Columbia University’s Master’s in Science Journalism, her longform magazine and newspaper reporting has won regional and national awards, appearing in outlets including Canadian Geographic, The Globe and Mail, and Scientific American. Her first book, Kings of Their Own Ocean: Tuna, Obsession and the Future of Our Seas—about a mercurial fisherman and one bluefin tuna he tagged—was a Globe and Mail Best Book in 2023.
10:15 AM – 10:30 AM
Break
10:30 AM – 12:15 AM
Fish Market
Atlantic Ballroom
Fish Market sessions are 5-minute presentations in plenary, followed by 45-minute small-group roundtable discussions. Attendees will hear all presentations and select one roundtable to attend.
Alan McCulla | International Fund for Fishing Safety (IFFS)
A fishery cannot be truly sustainable unless fisherfolk are safe, heard and able to sustain their livelihoods. This informal 45-minute session will show how Community Catch, a charity and certification provider, and the International Fund for Fishing Safety place fisher voice, safety and social responsibility at the heart of small-scale fishery improvement.
Community Catch provides the wider framework: an accessible pathway that recognizes small-scale fisheries, gathers anonymous fisher voice data, supports improvement, strengthens market access, and helps fishers raise the issues that matter to them. IFFS brings critical safety expertise and funding to turn those concerns into practical, life-saving action, from safety training and equipment to amplifying fisher voice in engagement with policymakers.
A live example from an IFFS-funded fisher safety project in Bangladesh will illustrate the main workshop themes, while a standalone, light-touch five-step exercise will help participants explore how fisher-led action can give safety and social responsibility equal weight alongside environmental considerations in fishery improvement programmes.
Brian Ahlers | SCS Global Services
For many years, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s (ASC’s) standards evolved into species standards, where aquaculture operations and their environmental and social performance was evaluated against a portfolio of differentiated, standalone standards organized into several species groups, such as the Shrimp Standard, Flatfish, and Freshwater Trout.
Although the alignment and integration of these standards became officially effective August 01, 2025, the ASC established a two-year transition period where aquaculture operations can voluntarily announce assessments against the new ASC Farm Standard, which will become compulsory on May 01, 2027. As we will investigate, this transition marks a significant shift in the requirements, process, and expectations for aquaculture farms as they prepare for the future state of the ASC.
In this session, explore the key updates and potential implications for the seafood industry and broader seafood community with Brian Ahlers from SCS Global Services, a global leader in responsible and sustainable seafood certifications.
Drin Lutchman | Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP)
This session looks at FIP through as an integral tool in the toolbox towards sustainable fisheries. It examines the key components of well designed FIPs to meet sustainability objectives but goes further to focus on the important role that FIPs play in support sustainable sourcing policies. The session will also zoom in on proposals and requirements for FIPs, supply chain actors to guarantee assurance of FIP products throughout the supply chain.
Eric Gilman | Fisheries Conservation Research Group
There has been increasing recognition of the need to address adverse ecological and socioeconomic effects of abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG). This component of marine debris has been progressively problematic over recent decades with the rapid expansion of global fisheries’ footprint and effort, and the transition to synthetic and more durable materials for gear components. Plastic marine debris including from ALDFG is now globally pervasive and a potential planetary boundary threat. Relevant interventions to avoid, minimize and remediate ALDFG depend on the fishery-specific context. The Fish Market presentation identifies criteria to enable the selection of interventions to mitigate ALDFG production and adverse impacts that are likely to be most effective for a specific fishery and provides examples of their application. Selection of appropriate ALDFG mitigation methods requires accounting for: (1) fishery-specific drivers for ALDFG production and adverse impacts, and (2) fishery- and gear-specific ALDFG fate and impacts. The management strategy should also be guided by: (3) the tier of mitigation measures within a sequential mitigation hierarchy, where approaches to avoid and minimize ALDFG production and adverse consequences are considered before potentially less effective and more costly interventions for remediation and offsets; and (4) tier within a sequential evidence hierarchy, from meta-analytic syntheses of all accumulated research to relatively weak evidence from individual expert surveys. It is also critical to account for the (5) resources required for effective compliance monitoring – what surveillance approaches are needed for a particular ALDFG mitigation method, considering whether efficacy is affected by crew behavior, and the likelihood of fisher compliance given an intervention’s costs to commercial viability (economic viability, practicality and crew safety). Finally, the (6) fishery-specific enabling conditions permit identifying the subset of ALDFG interventions that can be expected to be effective. This includes evaluating the influence of market-based mechanisms as well as the robustness of each component of the fisheries management framework of monitoring, control, surveillance, enforcement, and outcomes of enforcement actions. Accounting for this suite of criteria enables discovery of the most promising fishery-specific ALDFG mitigation methods as well as priority fisheries management improvements, to effectively curb this problematic component of global marine litter. During the Fish Market breakout session, participants can discuss: (1) options for robust, independent monitoring methods for ALDFG in small-scale to industrial fisheries, and (2) potential ‘low hanging fruit’ minimum ALDFG management measures applicable across fisheries.
Josh Nelson | Fair Trade USA
This presentation will explore Fair Trade USA’s APS 2.0 revisions and what they mean across the seafood value chain. We’ll break down key updates to the standard and examine their practical implications for producers, brands, and retailers—from compliance and operations to sourcing strategies and market positioning. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how APS 2.0 is designed to strengthen impact, improve accountability, and create new opportunities for business alignment with Fair Trade principles. We will also look at the evolution of the standard and the integration of Outcome Indicators into our APS standard.
Julia Seibel | Aquatic Life Institute
As corporate attention to aquatic animal welfare grows, more companies are announcing policies, but there is still limited guidance on what credible commitments look like and how to move from ambition to meaningful implementation and long-term integration. As expectations from investors, consumers, and other stakeholders increase, gaps along this journey can expose companies to emerging ESG risks.
This session will present a practical roadmap for corporate engagement on aquatic animal welfare, structured across three key phases: (1) building recognition and defining credible commitments, including how to introduce welfare in supplier conversations, assess current practices, and set clear scope and timelines; (2) supporting implementation and disclosure; and (3) embedding welfare into broader ESG and compliance frameworks.
The roadmap draws on ongoing engagement with companies and is designed as a practical tool for organizations seeking to drive more consistent and impactful corporate action.
During the roundtable discussion, participants will be invited to share current challenges, reflect on what defines “credible” corporate action, and explore opportunities to align on expectations and strategies to accelerate progress across the sector.
Kate Wright | Marine Stewardship Council
Dr. Robert Parker | Aquaculture Stewardship Council
Food production accounts for roughly one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Seafood, from both wild fisheries and aquaculture, can provide animal protein options with lower emissions, but challenges remain. The seafood industry contributes to global GHG emissions through fuel use by fishing vessels, refrigerant use during storage, processing, and transport, feed production for fed aquaculture, product distribution, and other drivers. Emissions vary widely across fishing gear types, farm types, species, and product forms.
This session examines the role of fisheries and aquaculture in contributing to climate change through GHG emissions, provides insights into the relative performance of seafood systems using new data, and highlights strategies to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint. A particular focus will be on integrating greenhouse gas accounting and reporting into the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) seafood certification schemes. Incorporating standardised GHG metrics complements broader reduction strategies, from gear innovation and vessel efficiency to spatial planning and supply‑chain optimisation. Collectively, scientists, industry leaders, policymakers, and certification bodies need to support a transition to climate-responsible seafood production.
This session examines new developments and improved understanding of the carbon footprint of fisheries and aquaculture. It will highlight efforts by industry, certification bodies, and other stakeholders to identify and reduce key sources of emissions in seafood supply chains.
Kiel Edson | Monterey Bay Aquarium
For the first time, we can map the specific seafood products available in any market worldwide. By reconciling high-resolution, species-specific trade data with global production volumes, Seafood Watch has developed a first-of-its-kind Tableau dashboard that integrates its environmental sustainability ratings and recognized eco-certifications into every trade flow. This data visualization evolution moves beyond production data to track products to their final destination, offering transparency into the product availability and sustainability of national seafood markets.
Lindsay Ceron | FishWise
Data alone can’t replace robust human rights due diligence—but it is an essential, foundational step. Join FishWise for a focused conversation as we introduce the Social Accountability Expansion Framework. Developed alongside the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) and 40+ global stakeholders, this framework establishes a shared, interoperable approach to integrating labor-related key data elements (KDEs) into the GDST Standard, and as a practical entry point into a broader, comprehensive human rights due diligence strategy.
We will look at the structure of the new KDE Matrix, explaining its phased approach (foundational, expanded, aspirational) and its shift away from passive checklists toward actionable, risk-informed data that feeds directly into risk assessment and mitigation. We’ll also share real-world insights from our dialogues—including technical feasibility, data sensitivity, and emerging consensus—and discuss how this framework serves as a critical mechanism to inform, rather than replace, companies’ broader human rights responsibilities. Let’s discuss how to turn data into meaningful action!
Ray Dhirani | Marine Stewardship Council & Aquaculture Stewardship Council
Come and find out how we are influencing the large flows of capital that affect seafood companies and sustainability solutions by engaging large banks and investors. In addition, find out how trade finance (think export credit agencies) can be leveraged and also how certification can plug directly into financial modelling. The session will also cover the blended finance space in order to unlock capital needed to make improvements on the ground for fisheries and farms. Finally, we will discuss how does the finance policy dimension fit in. All of this work with capital markets is instrumental to move toward true blue finance where companies have an added incentive to improve and maintain better practice longer term.
12:15 PM – 12:30 PM
Pre-Meal Presentation: Celebrating the Eel Ground First Nations Striped Bass Fishery
Atlantic Ballroom
Ocean Wise, in partnership with The Westin’s Executive Chef, Tim Palmer, are thrilled to share a special lunch with us featuring the Eel Ground First Nations striped bass fishery, a small-sale Indigenous fishery next door in New Brunswick.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Lunch
Mezzanine
1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Deep Dive Workshops
Attendees select one workshop to attend. We’ll break for 15 minutes at 2:45 PM.
Ethical Tuna Collaboration Workshop
Breakout Room
Key Themes: Social Responsibility | Human & Labor Rights | Business Engagement & Partnerships
Danielle Lewis | Springboard Partners
Renee Perry | Oddisea SuperFrozen
The Ethical Tuna Collaboration (ETC) is convened by the Conservation Alliance. ETC is designing a multistakeholder initiative to improve fisher outcomes (initially, wage payment, employer-paid recruitment fees, and fisher access to Wi-Fi and grievance mechanisms while at sea) on tuna vessels.
This interactive workshop will include:
* An overview of the ETC concept and design process
* An update on themes and working group decisions resulting from formal stakeholder feedback period held in June-August
* An opportunity to provide input on two core elements of ETC’s design – its governance and financial models and improvement and capacity building approach – ahead of the second formal stakeholder feedback period that will open in October
The Changing Landscape of Sustainability Claims
Atlantic Ballroom
Key Themes: Business Engagement & Partnerships | Accountability & Transparency | Seafood Claims
Kurtis Hayne | Marine Stewardship Council
Erika Feller | Marine Stewardship Council
Laura McDearis | Marine Stewardship Council
The landscape for sustainability claims has evolved rapidly over the past decade. Governments are cracking down on greenwashing as consumer advocacy groups lobby for better consumer protections. The EU has introduced stricter regulations to weed out misleading, unreliable and unsubstantiated claims, tackle unfair competition and remove unreliable logos and schemes from the market. In Canada, recent changes to the Competition Act tackle unsupported environmental claims by requiring claims on the environmental benefits of a product or business activity to be substantiated by adequate and proper testing. And, legal action in the U.S. has also challenged seafood sustainability claims.
Transparency and third-party assurance are more important than ever, and companies have a responsibility to ensure their sustainability messaging is verifiable and credible. Seafood consumers care about the environmental impact of what they choose to buy, and its important for seafood companies to have the ability to use legitimate sustainability claims.
This session will examine what is shaping the future of green claims, what it means for the Alliance community, and best practices for communicating sustainability and building consumer trust. In addition to sharing best practices, attendees will explore practical application of concepts to seafood claims.
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Break
4:00 PM – 4:30 AM
Conference Closing
Atlantic Ballroom
Session leads will share one top takeaway to help our community think about how we can collaborate in support of each others’ work to advance progress together.
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Alliance-Sponsored Field Trip: KĪholo Bay Learning Excursion
Kīholo Bay (departs from the hotel)
The Kīholo State Park Reserve spans over 4,300 acres along 8 miles of the coast. The Hui Aloha Kīholo team will lead us on a guided, service-oriented learning excursion centered on community and conservation. Kīholo Bay has been actively fished for hundreds of years and continues to be a thriving area due to the local efforts for place-based care and collaborative management. The area is often cited as one of the most remarkable on the island.
Our hosts, Hui Aloha Kīholo, are a local Native Hawaiian nonprofit that serves as the cultural and environmental steward for this hub of wildlife, culture, and connection. Their mission is to protect, perpetuate, and enhance the cultural and natural landscape of the Kīholo Bay area.
Submit your interest here: Alliance-Sponsored Field Trips Interest Form
