East Asia is central to global seafood production and trade, making it a critical frontier for sustainability. And now, seafood sustainability in East Asia is no longer an abstract ambition—it is a defining force shaping markets, supply chains, and business decisions. From illegal fishing and human rights risks to fragmented governance and shifting trade dynamics, the challenges are complex and deeply interconnected. Yet amid this complexity, one truth is becoming increasingly clear: industry—especially U.S. companies—has the power to accelerate change in the region.
Leads from CASS’ East Asia Exchange opened last month’s 北美海鲜博览会 with a standing-room-only panel discussion during the first session of the Expo to walk us through what they know.
“East Asia is not only where overfishing, IUU fishing, and labor rights abuses are occurring, but also where incentives for solutions for those issues are emerging,” says CEO and Founder of Japan-based 海鲜遗产, Wakao Hanaoka, who opened the session.
Today’s sustainability challenges are surfacing across every layer of the seafood value chain in East Asia.
Fisheries like Japanese anchovy in the East China Sea, Yellow Sea, and waters around Japan and Korea illustrate the issue well. This is a massive and underappreciated small pelagic fishery—ecologically and commercially vital—yet it lacks a comprehensive management framework. At the same time, East Asian vessels fishing squid in the areas around Peru and Argentina highlight the scale of distant-water operations, where oversight is limited, and risks related to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and human rights are significant.
Even where progress has been made, new pressures are emerging. Trade wars and tariffs are reshaping global flows, creating uncertainty and squeezing margins—conditions that can slow sustainability progress if left unchecked.
For U.S. companies, sustainability is no longer optional—it is a requirement.
Increasingly, responsible sourcing and traceability are baseline expectations. Companies are embedding these into procurement policies, not just to meet regulatory requirements, but to protect brand value, secure supply, and maintain market access. What’s more, early assumptions about who cares about sustainability are being challenged. As Songlin Wang, Founder and President of China’s 青岛海洋保护学会, shared, a 2016 feasibility study on red swimming crab initially assumed that market actors would prioritize sustainability more than fishers and processors. In reality, both groups demonstrated strong commitment. Over the past eight years, that shared engagement has led to meaningful, measurable progress—proof that alignment across the value chain is possible.
When U.S. buyers demand sustainable, traceable products from the companies they source from in East Asia, they create powerful incentives. Suppliers respond—not only because they are asked to, but because their market access depends on it. This dynamic has been a key driver behind the growth of Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) and certification programs.
U.S. companies have a uniquely influential role to play.
They can:
- Demand sustainable sourcing, making it a condition of doing business
- Apply pressure on East Asian suppliers and exporters to meet traceability and responsibility standards
- Invest in traceability systems, particularly at the mid-supply level (processors), where visibility is often weakest
- Support tools and initiatives such as human rights due diligence (HRDD), electronic monitoring (EM), FIPs, certifications, and industry roundtables
Most importantly, they can send a clear market signal: sustainability is not a “nice to have”—it is a requirement.
IUU fishing is not just an environmental issue—it is also a human rights and social responsibility challenge, as Ho-Tu Chiang, Senior Manager of Taiwan Fisheries at 海洋成果, pointed out. Addressing it requires a “toolbox” approach, combining governance reforms with industry-led initiatives like monitoring systems, worker protections, and traceability improvements.
There is no single solution—but together, these tools can drive real change.
For U.S. companies, the message is clear: your choices matter. By acting as responsible buyers in East Asia, sharing lessons from North American market transformation, and supporting regional solutions, U.S. businesses can help accelerate progress globally.
For East Asian producers and suppliers, the message is equally important: sustainability and traceability are no longer optional. They are essential for maintaining and growing access to key markets.
And for multinational CSOs and industry groups, the role is to connect these efforts—pushing for regional solutions, facilitating collaboration, and ensuring that progress is both inclusive and scalable.
The path forward will not be easy. But it is achievable.
There is no shortage of tools—traceability systems, certifications, FIPs, electronic monitoring, and more. What is needed now is alignment, commitment, and action.
The most important step is also the simplest: start.
Ask what role you can play. Find partners who share your goals. Build momentum through collaboration.
Because ultimately, the pursuit of sustainability is not something any one company, country, or organization can journey toward alone. But together, the industry has the power to transform itself—creating a seafood system that is not only more sustainable, but more resilient, equitable, and future-ready.
In the rapidly growing East Asian seafood market, diverse stakeholders are navigating a process of trial and error to build resilient supply chains that remain steadfast against environmental and social factors. The trajectory of the U.S. market and its companies’ pursuit of sustainability serves as a vital compass for East Asian nations. By continuing to lead as a role model for a responsible market, the U.S. will make its greatest contribution to the market transformation within East Asia.
For more on how we can work together to advance seafood sustainability in East Asia, follow along with the CASS East Asia Exchange.
