The Santpoort Dialogue

The 2022 dialogue meeting was held at Santpoort Nord, The Netherlands and was the first in person meeting since 2019. Khun Thiraphong Chansiri from Thai Union was Elected as Chair to replace Therese Log Bergjord who was thanked by all for her contributions and achievements in the position for the previous two years. Helene Ziv-Douki from Cargill Aqua Nutrition was elected as Vice-Chair. Together, the new Chair and Vice-Chair announced the intention to pursue greater focus and attention on key initiatives, to deliver impact and progress by 2025. Several important scientific background briefs were discussed, along with outcomes from a strategic review including collaborations, and communications.

Significant outcomes and highlights from the meeting included CEO agreement to:

• • Identify by the end of 2022 1 – 3 ‘Keystone Projects’ with a focus to deliver results and impact from those projects by 2025
  • Establish a Monitoring and Reporting Framework for SeaBOS activities, building on the Five Year Progress Report.  The first public report will be following the October 2023 Keystone Dialogue, and every two years after that
  • Consolidate scientific data gathering processes to facilitate increased and more efficient collection of relevant information from members, and to help identify future key areas of focus for science and companies to deliver on the SeaBOS commitments
  • Reaffirm their commitments to delivering on the various Time Bound Goals under the Task Forces, as first established in 2020.  That included feedback and reports from all companies on progress in areas such as elimination of IUU fishing and forced labour in their own operations and extending that into supply chains, implementing the endangered species strategy, reducing GHG emissions in line with science-based goals and facilitating dialogues around how to speed up transition to lower-carbon seafood production, reducing ocean plastics and the plastics footprints of SeaBOS members, as well as establishment of a code of conduct and strategy to reduce antibiotic use and risk of anti-microbial resistance.
  • Revise Task Force structure in line with the Strategic review:
    • Establish a new Task Force II on Biodiversity and Ecosystems, in recognition of their critical importance for future ocean health and sustainability. This Task Force will incorporate activities on endangered species previously developed in Task Force I, underpinned by the Endangered Species Strategy and the Best Practices Guidelines for reducing negative impacts on endangered species of elasmobranchs and seabirds.
    • Consolidate roles on ‘Communications’, ‘Working with Governments’, and ‘SeaBOS Transparency and Governance’ into the Secretariat.