FORIMMEDIATERELEASE
SeaPactNamedSeafoodChampionAwardFinalistforLeadership
Sustainabilityadvocatesfromaroundtheworld,workingupanddownthesupplychain,driveprogress
throughleadership,innovation,visionandanactivistspirit
BOSTON,March17,2017—SeaPact,aninnovativeallianceofnineleadingNorthAmericanseafood
businesses,isoneoffourfinalistsforthe2017SeafoodChampionAwardforLeadership,SeaWeb
announcedtoday.Apanelofseafoodsustainabilityexpertsfromindustryandnonprofitorganizations
basedinAsia,EuropeandNorthAmericarecognizedtheorganizationforusingitscollectivepowertolead
improvementthroughouttheglobalsupplychainbyfundingprojectstodrivechangewhileshowcasing
howcompetitorscanworktogether.
“SeaPactishonoredtobeselectedasoneoffourfinalistsgloballyintheleadershipcategory,andwelook
forwardtoworkingtogetherwithourco-leadersaswellastheimportantvisionaries,innovators,and
advocatesintheseafoodworldtoaccelerateprogressanddrivepositivelastingchange”saidRobJohnson,
ManagingDirectorofSeaPact.
TheannualSeafoodChampionAwardsprogram,nowinits11thyear,recognizesindividualsand
organizationsforexcellenceinpromotingenvironmentallyresponsibleseafood.Thereare16finalistsin
fourcategories.WinnerswillbeannouncedatanawardsceremonyonJune5attheSeaWebSeafood
SummitinSeattle.
“Thisyear’sfinalistshaveaglobalperspective,whethertheyactlocallyoratabroaderlevel,”saidMark
Spalding,presidentofSeaWebandTheOceanFoundation.“Improvingseafood’ssustainabilityrequires
addressingdifficultpolitical,technical,socialandeconomicquestions.Tocreatechange,youhaveto
forgealliancesandbringpeopletogetheraroundacommoncause.Thesearenoteasythingstodo,but
theChampionsonthislisthaveforgedaheadandaremakingrealprogress.”
TheSeafoodChampionAwardforLeadershiprecognizespeopleandorganizationsthatbring
stakeholderstogethertoimproveseafoodsustainabilityoroceanhealth.InadditiontoSeaPact,the
otherthreefinalistsare:
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SusiPudjiastuti,Indonesia’sMinisterofMarineAffairsandFisheriessince2014.Shehasbanned
theuseofbottomtrawlersandotherunsustainablecatchingdevices;ledthefightagainstillegal,
unregulatedandunreported(IUU)fishinginhergeographicallydispersedislandnation;and
foughtagainsttheuseofforcedlaboronfishingvessels.
WallyStevensoftheGlobalAquacultureAlliance.Awidelyadmiredleadinglightinaquaculture,
hehasdevelopedtheGAAasbothacompetitiveforce,withitsBestAquaculturePractices
certification,andaprecompetitiveconvenerviatheannualGOALConference,theResponsible
AquacultureFoundation,theGlobalAquacultureAdvocateandotherinitiatives.
MariahBoyleofFishWise.Knownforbridgingdividestounitebusinesses,NGOsand
governmentsinpursuitofcommongoals,shehasledcompaniessuchasAlbertsons,Target,HyVeeandSeaDelighttoimprovetraceabilityandreducetheriskofIUUfishingandhumanrights
abusesintheirsupplychains.Hereffortshavepositivelyaffectedmorethan7,500storesand250
millionpoundsofseafood.
TheSeafoodChampionAwardforInnovationrecognizesthosewhoidentifyandapplynewsolutionsto
ecologicalchallenges,marketneedsorsustainabilitybarriers.Thefinalistsare:
• FISH-iAfrica,apartnershipofeightEastAfricancountriesthatcombatslarge-scaleillegalfishing
bysharinginformationandtakingcollectiveenforcementaction.FISH-i’sstringofinvestigations
andprosecutionshascreatedamoreresponsiblefisheriessector.
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PelagicDataSystems,whichhasdevelopedavessel-trackingtechnologybasedonanaffordable,
solar-powereddatacollectiondeviceforsmallvessels.ThetechnologyhashelpedcombatIUU
fishinginGabon,Mexico,Indonesia,Maldives,Myanmar,Peru,Philippines,ThailandandtheU.S.
•
AlanLovewellofthe1,200-member,community-supportedfisheryRealGoodFish.Healsoruns
Bay2Tray,aprogramwithinRealGoodFishthatbringsaffordablelocalfishtopublicschool
districtswithhighpovertyratesandsendsfishermenintoclassroomstoteachabouttheocean,
fishingandhealth.
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KarlWarrofBetterFishing.Hehasimprovedthesustainabilityofbottomtrawlingwithaneasily
fittedcagemechanismthatcanfree95percentofjuvenilefish,savingfuelcostsandallowing
fisherstocatchspeciesselectively.
TheSeafoodChampionAwardforVisionrecognizesdistinctivevisionsthatsignificantlyadvancethe
sustainableseafoodcommunity.Thefinalistsare:
• BrenSmith,whoisleadingthedevelopmentandpromotionof3-Doceanfarms.Hisnonprofit
GreenWave helpsfishersbecomeoceanfarmersbyadoptingGreenWave’sopen-source,
replicablemodel,whichrestoresratherthandepletesoceanecosystems.
• MatthewBeaudin,executivechefoftheMontereyBayAquarium,whomoved$1millionin
buyingpowertoseafoodproducerswithina90-mileradius.Healsoisaregionalandcrossborderleader,developingaquaponicsprogramstosupportorphaned,HIV-positivechildrenin
Mexico.
• TheMarineResearchFoundation,athree-personnonprofitinMalaysiawhoseworkprotects
endangeredseaturtleswhilemakingMalaysia’sshrimp-fishingindustrymoresustainable.The
MRFovercameentrenchedoppositiontotheuseofturtleexcluderdevicesandnowanticipatesa
fullrolloutofthedevices,whichwillsaveanestimated4,000turtles.Thatwillopenaccessfor
Malaysiatoaglobalmarkethungryforsustainableshrimp.
• TheGlobalGhostGearInitiative,thefirstefforttotackletheproblemofabandonedfishinggear
onaglobalscale.Thisinternational,cross-sectorpartnershipworkswithstakeholdersfrom
fisherstotheUnitedNationstocollectdataanddevelopandmodelsolutionsthatremoveghost
gearfromtheocean.
TheSeafoodChampionAwardforAdvocacyrecognizesthepromotionofsustainability,useofthemedia
toraisetheprofileofsustainableseafood,worktostrengthenpublicpolicyandresourceallocations,and
championingofadvancesinsustainableseafood.Thefinalistsare:
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TheInternationalPole&LineFoundation,whichspearheadedaneffortbyIndianOcean
countriestoreformtunafisheriesmanagementandplayedacentralroleintheIndianOcean
TunaCommission’sgroundbreakingadoptionofaprecautionaryharveststrategy.
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NedBell,OceanWiseexecutivechefattheVancouverAquariumandfounderofChefsfor
Oceans,whohasmadesustainableseafoodhismission.In2014,herodehisbike8,700km
acrossCanada,hosting20eventsalongsidesomeofthecountry’sbestchefstoraiseawareness
ofsustainableseafood.
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Dr.CalebOtto,formerPermanentRepresentativeoftheRepublicofPalautotheUnitedNations,
whohasledhissmallislandnationtoapositionofleadershipontheinternationalstagethrough
hispassionateadvocacyforoceanhealthandsustainabilityattheUnitedNations.
BillMookofMookSeaFarminMaine,whoismodelinghowshellfishgrowerseverywherecan
addressthethreatofoceanacidification.Hehasbecomearesourceforhatcheryandfarm
operatorsintheU.S.andabroad,counselingthemonhowtoavoidlossesandexchanging
innovativeideasforprotectingtheindustry.
Formoreinformationontheawardsandfinalists,gotowww.seafoodchampions.org.Formore
informationontheawardsceremonyandtheSeafoodSummit,gotowww.seafoodsummit.org.
AboutSeaWeb
SeaWebservesthesustainableseafoodcommunitybynourishingacoordinatedinfrastructureofpeople
andknowledgetoguide,inspireandrewardtheseafoodindustry’sadoptionofsustainablepractices.
SeaWebisaprojectofTheOceanFoundation,auniquecommunityfoundationwithamissiontosupport,
strengthenandpromoteorganizationsdedicatedtoreversingthetrendofdestructionofocean
environmentsaroundtheworld.SeaWebproducestheSeafoodSummitinpartnershipwithDiversified
Communications.
AboutSeaPact
AlbionFarms&Fisheries,FortuneFish&Gourmet,IpswichShellfishGroup,SantaMonicaSeafood,
SeacoreSeafood,StavisSeafoods,J.J.McDonnell,A.C.CovertandSeattleFishCo.compriseSeaPactand
allshareanactiveandprogressiveapproachtotheirsustainabilitycommitments.Theseninecompanies
havejoinedtogetherandareusingtheircollectivepowertoleadanddriveimprovementof
environmental,economic,andsocialresponsibilitythroughouttheseafoodsupplychain.SeaPact
receivessustainabilitycounselfromnon-profitorganizationsFishWise,OceanOutcomes,andSustainable
FisheriesPartnership(SFP),andisaprojectunderNewVentureFunds501(c)3non-profitstatus.Project
fundingopportunitiesareavailablethroughanannualrequestforproposals.
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Mediacontacts
ForSeaPact:
RobJohnson,ManagingDirector
[email protected]
+19022224933
HamishWalker,ChairofSeaPactAdvisoryCouncil
[email protected]
+17204549367
ForSeaWeb:
SandraStewart
ThinkshiftCommunications
[email protected]
+14153914449
SarahGrolnic-McClurg
ThinkshiftCommunications
[email protected]
+15108981837