A global entity of non-government organizations, seafood businesses and others representing over 150 organizations in 30 countries is calling for more environmentally responsible global seafood production, with safeguards in place to ensure social responsibility.
The Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions on April 8 that it would release new guidelines on April 11 urging supermarkets, restaurants and other businesses to accelerate efforts to eradicate human and labor rights abuses from their supply chains.
The alliance, founded in 2008, represents top retailers, including Costco, Kroger, Target and Aldi, which have sustainable seafood partnerships with non-profits within the alliance.
The announcement comes in the wake of new investigations that show forced labor issues in the seafood sector in India, China and North Korea. These situations recently became the subject of major investigative articles in the news media, including the New York Times.
The stated goal of the alliance is by 2030 to have at least 75% of global seafood production be environmentally responsible or making verifiable improvements and safeguards in place to ensure social responsibility.
The alliance also offers its vision for seafood, its outline of work within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. By aligning with the goals, the alliance said, it hopes to better connect the responsible seafood movement to global discussions about development and food systems and help stakeholders identify interconnected environmental and social issues in their work.