Animal Welfare at the Center of Conversations at Seafood North America (SENA)

Last week, three members of Aquatic Life Institute’s team headed to Boston for Seafood Expo North America (SENA), one of the world's most influential gatherings of seafood industry leaders. Sophika Kostyniuk, our managing director; Julia Seibel, our head of corporate engagement; and Steffan Edward, our seafood certification lead, were on the ground to connect with stakeholders while discussing the relevance of aquatic welfare, the urgent need to improve it, and how it is connected to the industry's most pressing challenges, from environmental sustainability to social responsibility.

Our team had the opportunity to join networking events - hosted by partners from the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions, , Marine Stewardship Council, and Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability - to engage with retailers, producers, certifiers, and other organizations. Sessions from the official SENA agenda covered technical innovations, as well as the growing importance of consumer trust. A recurring theme from major corporations was that consumers care deeply about ocean health and the protection of biodiversity, and they are increasingly looking for brands that reflect those values. Aquatic animal welfare is deeply intertwined with these priority areas of focus and can help advance corporate goals when effectively integrated into policies and practices.

Through our conversations, it's clear that industry actors recognize the relevance of aquatic animal welfare. Questions are arising, and many companies are still looking for the right roadmap to adopt and implement meaningful change.

This is exactly where ALI fits in. We are here to work collaboratively with industry, providing the technical expertise and strategic guidance needed to turn welfare policies into measurable action in a time bound way.

Our major take away from SENA: aquatic animal welfare is no longer on the sidelines. It is part of the conversation, and now is the time to act.

If you would like to learn more about our corporate and certifier engagement work, please reach out to speak to one of our experts at at julia@ali.fish or steffan@ali.fish.

We welcome everyone to join us on advancing this issue.