The Alliance community gathered last week in San Juan, Puerto Rico to reconnect, share what we’re learning, and talk about how we move forward together. The conference generated twelve calls to action for how we can collectively make more progress:
- Have at least one conversation with someone who is working in a similar area to ask questions, head off duplication, or investigate options to collaborate
- We need collaboration and an agreed pathway forward on improver programs, and to get behind developing additional tools and acceptance in the marketplace
- Empower workers and artisanal fisheries putting them in a better position to protect seafood resources
- Embrace and strengthen how accountability and transparency are implemented in sustainable seafood commitments
- Support and invest in advancing locally-led, community-based projects and technology that blend fisheries and aquaculture together with species restoration
- NGOs and funders need to think about their individual projects in light of Due Diligence frameworks and how they support or hinder the industry in applying this iterative approach
- Recognition that industry traceability data underpins supply chain commitments, enables sustainable and responsible sourcing, is used by governments, and that the GDST standard has tools and dialogue to support this
- Human Rights Due Diligence and sustainability outcomes are dependent on actionable data – work towards identifying data gaps and devising a strategy to collect and leverage data to achieve outcomes
- Encourage all stakeholders to come together and form a collaborative alliance in a public-private partnership to promote and boost sustainable aquaculture practices, and emphasize the importance of collective and coordinated actions in addressing climate, social, and economic challenges that could affect ocean and human health
- Ensure gender equality is on the agenda of your organization/company
- Align all organizations interested in restorative integrated mangrove aquaculture (IMA), nature-positive seafood harvesting systems, and blue carbon financing and create synergies and collaboration for going at scale (focus on Asia)
- We still need spaces for talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Let’s keep the conversation going.
How will you take action?
