Like many other organizations in the seafood world, it has been a busy and exciting start to 2024 for Sea Pact.  Here are a few Sea Pact highlights from the past few months:

• 4th Annual Latin American Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Summit:  In February, Sea Pact attended the 4th Annual Latin American Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Summit in Mexico City.  The Summit brought together stakeholders from all over the world to discuss food security, addressing IUU fishing, responsible aquaculture and fishery improvement efforts, and other sustainable seafood-related topics. Sea Pact joined Comepesca and Seafood Legacy on a panel facilitated by the Walton Family Foundation to discuss pre-competitive efforts to improve seafood sustainability. Major takeaways from the Summit included recognizing that there are many different initiatives driving impactful sustainability outcomes across Latin America, from technology uptake to supply chain collaborations, and prioritization of issues and efforts will be key for any organization or collaboration facing environmental and social responsibility.  Also, bottom-up (producer/harvester/fisher) solutions to sustainability challenges, along with market engagement efforts (top down), are vital successful long-term sustainability outcomes. We thank Pesca con Futuro and Comepesca for inviting Sea Pact to participate in the year's Summit.
• Seafood Expo North America: In March, Sea Pact joined thousands of other seafood stakeholders in attending Seafood Expo North America in Boston, Massachusetts.  Much of our time was spent away from the Expo floor, meeting with other organizations, learning more about various sustainability initiatives, and exploring opportunities for collaboration.  The Expo also enabled Sea Pact board members to meet in-person to kick off our strategic planning process, which will result in Sea Pact member companies establishing long-term sustainability goals and targets.  Sea Pact also held its first-ever meet and greet reception during the Expo, sponsored by two Sea Pact Supporters, Pepper and Kvarøy Arctic. The reception was a great way to raise awareness of Sea Pact's efforts and meet with companies interested in Sea Pact membership. A major thank you again to Pepper and Kvarøy for sponsoring the event.  We are already looking forward to next year! 
• The Consortium for Social Risks in Seafood's Human Rights Due Diligence Workshop: In April, Sea Pact, along with members Acme Smoked Fish, Santa Monica Seafoods, and Seattle Fish, attended a Human Rights Due Diligence Workshop hosted by the Consortium for Social Risks in Seafood in Seattle, Washington.  Throughout the workshop, a diverse group of supply chain representatives discussed the realities of human rights due diligence in the seafood sector and the role that the Social Responsibility Assessment (SRA) tool can play in supporting business's due diligence efforts. The SRA is a risk assessment tool designed for the seafood industry focused on fish-workers related to the following; 1) Protect human rights, dignity, and access to resources, 2) Ensure quality and equitable opportunity to benefit, 3) Improve food and livelihood security.  The workshop was informative and engaging; and Sea Pact is now exploring potential pilot opportunities utilizing the SRA tool.