The initiative
Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship
Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship is an initiative that, for the first time, connects the global seafood business to science, connects wild capture fisheries to aquaculture, and connects European and North American companies to Asian companies. The ambition is to lead a global transformation towards sustainable seafood production and a healthy ocean. The initiative will actively contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in particular Goal 14 – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.
Connect science and business
Connect fisheries with aquaculture
Connect seafood companies all over the world
The statements
Statement for collaboration
The keystone actors participating in the first dialogue produced a joint statement. This statement outlines their concern about the current and future state of the ocean, and identifies a number of areas, which they will address together – in order to actively contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Our pledge for ocean stewardship – our plea to governments
The ten keystone actors participating in the second dialogue produced a joint statement focusing on advancing the SeaBOS initiative. This statement outlines the pledge from member companies and the areas to which they will now focus their work, as well as their plea to governments to address the many outstanding ocean challenges.
The Companies
Companies committed to the initiative
The initiative was joined by ten of the largest seafood companies in the world, including the two largest companies by revenues (Maruha Nichiro Corporation and Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd), two of the world’s largest tuna companies (Thai Union Group PCL and Dongwon Industries), the two largest salmon farmers (Marine Harvest ASA and Cermaq – (subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation), the two largest aquafeeds companies (Skretting – subsidiary of Nutreco, and Cargill Aqua Nutrition), as well as the Japanese tuna purse seine company Kyokuyo and the agro-industrial conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Foods.
Videos
Reflections on the SeaBOS initiative
Members committed to the initiative explain why it is important and how it will influence the rest of the seafood industry.
Knut Nesse, CEO, NUTRECO
Dr. Darian McBain, Global Director of Sustainability, Thai Union
Einar Wathne, Group leader and President, Cargill Aqua Nutrition
The Scientific background
The scientific starting point
The word “keystone actor” is inspired by the “keystone species” concept in ecology, developed by Professor Robert T. Paine. A scientific paper published in 2015 by Österblom, Jouffray, Folke et al. illustrates that the largest companies in a given industry can operate similarly to keystone species in ecological communities, meaning that they can have a disproportionate effect on the structure and function of the system in which they operate.
The Soneva Dialogue
Transformative Risks and Opportunities for the Global Seafood Industry
The Soneva Dialogue was the first keystone dialogue. This Stockholm Resilience Centre event was supported by Forum for the Future (FFTF) and the Soneva Foundation. The Walton Family Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation provided funding for the event. HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden acted as Patron for the Soneva Dialogue, which was generously hosted by Sonu and Eva Shivdasani, at their Soneva Fushi resort in the Maldives. The first keystone dialogue was supported by nine background briefs, which together provided a starting point for the discussions.
The Stockholm Dialogue
Advancing the Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship Initiative
The Stockholm Dialogue was the second keystone dialogue. This Stockholm Resilience Centre event was funded by the Walton Family Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Deputy Prime Minister Isabella Lövin participated actively in the dialogue which was hosted at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. The second keystone dialogue was supported by two background briefs, providing additional scientific material to support the initiative and the move towards more operational targets.
Follow up meeting
A follow-up meeting will take place in 2018 (tentatively in May and in Tokyo, Japan). The ambition is that the joint effort and leadership by these keystone actors will influence the industry sector as a whole and shape future policies related to more sustainable seafood production.