Mariah Boyle Named Traceability Division Director

In January 2015, longtime FishWise Project Director Mariah Boyle was promoted to the new position of Traceability Division Director. Through goal development and implementation with business partners, convening and connecting key stakeholders, and novel initiatives to strengthen seafood traceability across the industry, FishWise has developed strong expertise in this growing area of the larger sustainable seafood movement. To match increased project opportunities, FishWise has hired several new staff that form the new division, which Mariah Boyle now leads. 

The development and implementation of traceability systems is a vital step in identifying illegal activities and products within supply chains and working to eliminate them. Robust traceability systems can also be used to help companies track progress against their sourcing commitments.  Many of FishWise’s major retail partners have set a goal for their fresh and frozen seafood to be traceable by the end of 2015. 

As the Traceability Division Director, Mariah works to create tools that help FishWise partners, and the larger seafood industry, reduce and ultimately eliminate illegal seafood products from supply chains, while ensuring all seafood is traceable back to its origins. Mariah summarized the seafood traceability landscape in a white paper in 2012 and continues to work alongside the many stakeholders seeking to create viable solutions that allow for improvements on the water while safeguarding seafood businesses from fraud. Mariah has also organized workshops and participated in events focused on combating illegal fishing, serving as a coordinator within this network of stakeholders. Mariah’s background in science, business engagement, and supply chain logistics allow her to add a unique perspective to these conversations. Mariah has a Masters in Marine Science from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and a Bachelor of Science from the Florida Institute of Technology. She is also an Assistant Specialist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, working with Dr. Marc Mangel in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics. Previously, she has worked in academia, government, and education, monitored west coast fish stocks at sea, and informed community-based MPAs in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Her published work focuses on shark conservation, stable isotope analysis, and trophic ecology of fishes.