ABOUT SeaBOS

We aim to lead a global transformation towards sustainable seafood production and a healthy ocean.

SeaBOS is the first time eight of the world’s largest seafood companies engage in a science-based collaboration with academia and have agreed on commitments and set time-bound goals to achieve sustainable transformation within the seafood sector. SeaBOS connects wild capture fisheries, feed producers and aquaculture businesses across Asia, Europe, and North America.

Meet the SeaBOS Leadership

Meet our CEOs

Read what the CEOs of the eight engaged seafood companies say about the SeaBOS collaboration, the challenges ahead and the progress made.

Cermaq promotes ocean health and sustainable salmon fisheries through SeaBOS collaboration

December 1, 2023

Steven Rafferty, CEO of Cermaq The sustainable transition of the food system is a top priority for Cermaq, a leading global salmon producer. Still, it wasn’t immediately clear t...

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CP Foods drives sustainability in the industry through collaboration in SeaBOS

July 14, 2023

Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL (CP Foods) is a global leader in the integrated agro-industrial and food business sector. COO Dr. Sujint Thammasart recognises that the company shares...

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Sound decisions for the future

June 28, 2023

SeaBOS is unique because it is the first time nine of the world’s largest seafood companies collaborate with science to implement a joint vision to develop more sustainable seaf...

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Collaboration in SeaBOS amplifies the impact of Maruha Nichiro’s sustainability efforts

October 11, 2022

Maruha Nichiro has grown from a small fishing business 140 years ago, into one of the world’s leading integrated food companies today. For President and CEO Masaru Ikemi, being ...

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Blending personal passion with collective learning

August 18, 2022

For Helene Ziv-Douki, President of Cargill Aqua Nutrition, SeaBOS exemplifies the saying that alone you can go fast, but together you can go further The ten members of the SeaBO...

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To succeed, alignment is crucial

April 25, 2022

For Thiraphong Chansiri, President and CEO of Thai Union, bringing together the world’s largest seafood companies to find solutions to the industry’s most intractable problems w...

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An eye-opener and a changemaker

March 11, 2022

We asked the CEOs from each company to share their vision and ambitions about SeaBOS and the future of their industry. For Dr. Myoung-Woo Lee, CEO of Dongwon Industries, the ini...

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Discover interviews featuring former CEOs and earlier conversations with current CEOs from SeaBOS member companies.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

The starting point for SeaBOS dates back to 2012 when researchers at the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) at Stockholm University, the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics and the Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere program (GEDB) at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, began research on the largest actors in the seafood industry. Decades ago, scientists had discovered “keystone species” in the ocean – species with a disproportionate effect on the structure and function of marine ecosystems. The first question the SRC-led research team asked was: are there also “keystone actors” within the seafood industry?

The answer came in a scientific paper published in 2015 demonstrating that just 13 companies controlled 19-40% of some of the largest and most valuable stocks, and 11-16 % of the global marine catch. These keystone actors were defined as large corporations that (1) dominate global production revenues and volumes within a particular sector; (2) control globally relevant segments of production; (3) connect ecosystems globally through subsidiaries; and (4) influence global governance processes and institutions.

The research team’s next question was whether these keystone actors could be mobilised to lead a global transformation for ocean stewardship. After two years of bilateral contacts between scientists and company representatives, eight of the world’s largest seafood companies agreed to an initial meeting in November 2016 to explore transformative risks and opportunities for the global seafood industry. This was the very first keystone dialogue and it resulted in CEOs of these leading companies publicly committing to a vision and set of shared commitments to ocean stewardship. This laid the foundation for a new global science-business initiative: Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship (SeaBOS).

Today, eight companies are part of the Initiative along with annual CEO-level talks between the companies and the scientists.

SeaBOS timeline

2015
Governments agree on SDGs 2015
Science-based solutions
Data collection and analysis to identify Keystone Actors; bilateral company visits; co-design to create dialogues.
2016
Soneva Dialogue

Soneva Dialogue

NOV 2016 | Transformative risks and opportunities

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SeaBOS Initiative launched
2017
Stockholm Dialogue

Stockholm Dialogue

MAY 2017 | Advancing the SeaBOS initiative

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JUN 2017
First UN Ocean Conference
Science-based solutions
SeaBOS commitments and task forces in operation; underpinning research on issues; identify knowledge and impact partners; survey company practice and identify best practice; stewardship workshop.
2018
Karuizawa Dialogue

Karuizawa Dialogue

SEPT 2018 | Commitments to action

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2019
JUN 2019
G20 and IUU Japanese legislation
SeaBOS Fundraising Foundation launched and Secretariat established
Phuket Dialogue

Phuket Dialogue

SEPT 2019 | Global connectivity, consolidating and accelerating change

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2020
Science-based solutions
Public commitments to time-bound targets and science-based climate goals.
Virtual Dialogue

Virtual Dialogue

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DEC 2020
High Level Panel Report
2021
Science-based solutions
Committed to no IUU fishing or modern slavery in own operations; roadmap for Antibiotics; endangered species strategy agreed
NOV 2021
COP26 UN Food Systems Summit
Virtual Dialogue

Virtual Dialogue

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2022
Science-based solutions
Focus on strategic partnership, reporting and awareness builing for transformative change
JUN 2022
UN Ocean Conference 2022
The first SeaBOS Impact Report has been released!
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