FishWise and the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability Deepen Partnership to Drive Action on Traceability in Global Supply Chains

11th May 2026 – FishWise and the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) today announced a renewed partnership to turn digital interoperable traceability from a stated priority into consistent, on-the-ground practice across global seafood supply chains. The announcement builds on the collaboration between the two organizations, which began in 2024 in response to tightening import controls, increased scrutiny on labor and environmental practices, and rising expectations for transparency. Companies are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their responsibility for their supply chains in ways that are consistent, credible, and verifiable. FishWise and GDST are working together to address these challenges by closing the gap between stated commitments to digital data exchange and traceability and real-world action.

The partners are taking action through a two-pronged approach. GDST has developed and maintains a global interoperability standard that enables traceability to scale across markets, while FishWise works directly with seafood businesses, governments, and NGOs to implement traceability and due diligence within complex supply chains.

Under the renewed partnership, both organizations will capture what is working on the ground and translate insights into practical guidance for the broader industry. In 2025, FishWise led a GDST dialogue series on human and labor rights in seafood supply chains and will expand that work in 2026. FishWise is also supporting engagement with regulators, drawing on its experience advancing seafood legality and traceability policies. 

“FishWise has proven to be exactly the kind of partner that helps move a standard from the page into practice,” said Huw Thomas, Executive Director of GDST. “They bring the implementation experience, business insight and relationships needed to turn the GDST Standard into real change across supply chains.”

“Traceability only delivers impact when global standards connect to what companies are actually facing on the ground,” said Jenny Barker, Executive Director of FishWise. “By combining our strengths, we can work alongside governments and industry to make digital interoperable traceability the norm, not the exception.”

The memorandum of understanding runs through the end of 2028, with specific initiatives and funding arrangements to be developed through future agreements.

About FishWise: FishWise is a nonprofit sustainable seafood consultancy based in California that takes a holistic approach to sustainability and aims to transform how the global seafood industry does business in order to protect ocean health and workers’ rights. Offering expertise that is trusted by human rights and conservation organizations, seafood buyers and suppliers, and government representatives, FishWise offers a range of services that empower businesses and a diverse community of collaborators to lead the transition to a sustainable, ethically responsible seafood industry. For more information, please visit www.FishWise.org, and follow FishWise’s work on Instagram and LinkedIn.

About GDST: The Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) is an international, business-to-business platform dedicated to creating global standards and guidelines for interoperable seafood traceability. The foundation has over 130 Partners, including major seafood processors, retailers, software companies, NGOs and global brands. Notable partners include the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, Sainsbury’s, Wegmans, Bolton Group, and WWF. 

GDST’s primary goal is to establish a common framework for seafood traceability that enables seamless data exchange across the supply chain. Its standards ensure that traceability systems are interoperable, addressing industry-wide challenges like combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and improving sustainability practices. GDST was founded in 2017 by WWF and the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and became a partnership Foundation in 2022. It is guided by a Supervisory Board comprising industry leaders that operates under the oversight of a Secretariat, which facilitates collaboration and implementation of its objectives.

Contact: 

• Huw Thomas: huw.thomas@thegdst.org  
• Jenny Barker: j.barker@fishwise.org 

For more information: http://www.thegdst.org