The sustainable seafood movement got its start in the mid-1990s, and the 20-year mark is a great time to look back at the impact of our work together and the challenges that will define sustainable seafood’s future.
We have a lot to celebrate. Back then, regulations designed to protect the oceans weren’t working fast enough – and fisheries that fed millions of people and supported thousands of jobs were headed toward collapse.
Since then, the work of seafood industry and conservation leaders has helped change the industry and make it radically different than 20 years ago:
- In the mid-90s, sustainability was a complication that seafood businesses had to manage. Today, it’s an integral part of doing business, with 90 percent of the North American grocery market having made sustainability commitments.
- Then, conservation groups and industry saw each other as adversaries. Today, they are rolling up their sleeves together to tackle shared challenges.
- Back then, a regulation-only approach was falling short. Today, we see signs of progress on the water.
Next month’s Seafood Summit will include a keynote address focused on the sustainable seafood movement’s first 20 years. Whether you’re going to the Summit or not, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating shared accomplishments and collaborating on solutions to shared challenges.
