Our Mission
To sustain ocean ecosystems and the people who depend on them by transforming global seafood supply chains.
Our Vision
FishWise envisions a future in which the seafood industry, in collaboration with governments and civil society, takes full accountability for the people and the ocean resources upon which it depends, so that:
- PEOPLE—the millions of people who harvest, produce, process, and sell seafood—benefit and thrive in an inclusive and equitable industry with decent working conditions for all;
- OCEANS—the marine and freshwater ecosystems that are integral for supporting life on this planet—remain productive and biodiverse while providing a critical source of healthy protein to meet the needs of a growing global population; and
- SEAFOOD ENTERPRISES—the individuals, families, communities, and businesses around the globe that rely on seafood production—are sustained and can prosper for generations to come.
Together, these elements comprise our holistic approach to sustainability. The health of people and ecosystems is inextricably linked. As such, FishWise works to implement a holistic approach to sustainability in pursuing our mission. To us, the term “sustainability” must be defined as inclusive of both environmental and social responsibility. Acknowledging that no one entity can create change alone, we will leverage and initiate transparency efforts and strategic collaborations with industry, government, and NGO stakeholders where needed to ensure our approach leads to transformational change.
The Need We Are Addressing
As the world’s most traded food commodity, seafood supply chains are often complex, global, and untraceable, and thus can harbor seafood procured from illegal or unethical sources. This complexity requires commensurately sophisticated and diverse solutions to address the environmental and human resource challenges in seafood sustainability.
Our Approach
Since 2003, FishWise has worked closely with the seafood industry to foster leadership in sustainability. We believe that the seafood industry not only has serious impacts on the health of oceans and the welfare of its workers, but also the potential to make an enormous contribution to the health of our planet and its inhabitants.
We have identified three core interrelated strategies to transform seafood supply chains.
Direct Supply Chain Engagement
FishWise works in partnership with individual companies across the seafood supply chain to advance each organization’s specific efforts to address environmental, social, illegal fishing, and traceability risks in their business and across their supply base. Currently, this includes partnerships with Albertsons Companies (2200 stores), Target Corporation (1800 stores), and Hy-Vee (250 stores), as well as independent grocery stores, hoteliers, and many mid-supply chain and producer companies.
Collective Industry Engagement
FishWise works with coalitions of industry, NGOs, and other stakeholders to drive and scale change across groups of supply chain actors. This includes directly convening groups or supporting and collaborating with preexisting groups.
Governance Reform
FishWise works in strategic partnerships to inform governments and regulatory bodies responsible for setting the rules all supply chain actors must follow to ensure compliance and accountability for all.