Seafood Legacy Endorsed the CASS's new "A Vision for Seafood”
- Creating further impetus for a sustainable seafood market

 

(Tokyo, May 16th, 2023)

Seafood Legacy Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce that it has endorsed "A Vision for Seafood" released by the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions (hereinafter "CASS").

 

CASS, of which Seafood Legacy has been a member since 2017, is a global community of over 130 NGOs and companies working to achieve sustainability in the seafood industry. The Common Vision of Sustainable Seafood (hereinafter "Common Vision") is a vision created in 2008 to help companies achieve the sustainable procurement of seafood. It has been adopted by over 90% of major retailers in North America and has had a significant impact on accelerating market transformation.

 

For many years, efforts for seafood sustainability have focused on the conservation of the marine environment and ecosystems, as well as the sustainable management of fishery resources. However, more recently, human rights abuses of workers in the seafood industry have come to light, and the importance of social responsibility, including respect for human rights, is growing.

 

In view of this, CASS has decided to replace its Common Vision with a more comprehensive vision that encompasses social responsibility, the results of which being "A Vision of Seafood" as well as the "Guidelines for Companies" due to be completed in early 2024 that have been announced.

 

"A Vision for Seafood" uses the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals framework to set targets under the themes of "Planet and Natural Resources," "Social Responsibility and Human Rights," and "Partnerships." Targets under "Planet and Natural Resources" include preventing and reducing the impact of wild fishing and aquaculture on the environment, including terrestrial areas; addressing climate change in a manner that gives due consideration to small-scale producers; and establishing responsible consumption and production. Targets under "Social Responsibility and Human Rights" include addressing poverty and hunger, as well as achieving gender equality and decent work, while "Partnerships" outlines how partnerships with the seafood sector and governments are an essential element in tackling the other two issues. 

Besides, Ryo Takahashi of the Business Engage Department of Seafood Legacy has been involved in creating this new Vision.

 

 

Conceptual diagram for "A Vision for Seafood"

 

 

Seafood Legacy has been supporting initiatives of seafood companies, financial institutions, governments, and NGOs aimed at promoting sustainable seafood, with the goal of ensuring that seafood, which symbolizes the connection between local communities, the seafood economy, and marine ecosystems, is passed on to future generations in a healthy state as a legacy.

 

In 2022, we entered into a partnership with FishWise, a North American NGO with deep knowledge and experience in addressing environmental and social issues in the seafood industry, and we have begun supporting stakeholders of Japan's seafood industry in their efforts to address human rights and other social issues.
 

By endorsing "A Vision for Seafood," we strive to work more comprehensively to address sustainability-related issues in Japan's seafood industry.

 

Founder & CEO Wakao Hanaoka said:

"CASS' Vision makes clear that the pursuit of sustainability in the seafood industry is intimately related to almost all 17 goals of the SDGs and not just Goal 14. Given that we are at the midway point of the SDGs, which were launched in 2015 with a target year of 2030, we have decided to endorse CASS's Vision as a means of sharing its targets with our stakeholders in Japan, who have been driving the movement in the country. Along with them, we hope to develop a roadmap for the period until 2030 for transforming Japan's seafood industry into a growth industry through the pursuit of sustainability based on this Vision."

 

Ryan Bigelow, Project Director of Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions said:

The Alliance has over 130 industry and nonprofit members working towards more sustainable seafood production. The Vision for Seafood will help us align our efforts and make a larger impact for ocean health. By incorporating the UN SDGs and human and labor rights, we also hope the Vision brings the seafood sector into closer alignment with other sectors striving for similar improvements. 

 

 

 

Contact:

Business Engagement: Ryo Takahashi　ryo.takahashi@seafoodlegacy.com
Communication & Branding:
Miki Yamaoka　miki.yamaoka@seafoodlegacy.com
Mariko Arikawa  mariko.arikawa@seafoodlegacy.com