A world that embraces the role of responsible seafood in meeting global nutrition needs.
Our Mission
The Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) is an international nongovernmental organization dedicated to advancing responsible seafood practices through education, advocacy and third-party assurances (demonstration).
Annual Report
Our Mission
The Global Seafood Alliance GSA is an international nongovernmental organization dedicated to advancing responsible seafood practices through education, advocacy and third-party assurances (demonstration).
Annual Report
2023
Our Mission
Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) advances responsible seafood practices worldwide through advocacy, education and demonstration.
Through our Responsible Seafood Summit, Advocate magazine, and Aquademia podcast
Through our world-class third-party certification programs, Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and Best Seafood Practices (BSP)
Through our membership program and projects around the world supporting the seafood industry
Getting better all the time
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning.” We at the Global Seafood Alliance believe what Franklin said about two and a half centuries ago still rings true today.
Continual improvement resides at the core of what it means to be a holder of Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) or Best Seafood Practices (BSP) certification. All of our standards, including the latest iteration of the Seafood Processing Standard – SPS 6.0, which will be fully implemented in 2025 – are strengthened over time.
SPS, in particular, has undergone an improvement project of its own over the past few years; pilot programs now underway will soon tell us how fruitful that work was. The BAP and BSP standards
development processes rely on this critical improvement work to provide reliable supply chain assurances for our stakeholders today and far into the future.
The BAP program is stronger and larger than ever – more than 4,000 facilities are now certified – and while I’d like to attribute that growth to our team’s efforts, it’s really an indicator that the seafood industry at large wants to improve, is willing to commit to responsible practices and seeks to lead by example.
Our engagement with wild-capture seafood supply chains, which ramped up three years ago with
Thank you for your support, MIKE KOCSIS, CEO
two key strategic partnerships, also continues. FishChoice is helping us establish meaningful connections between fisheries engaged in Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs), certified seafood processing facilities and the marketplace. Cutting-edge technologies, such as what Wholechain brings to the table, will enable efficiencies that will allow GSA to deliver supply chain assurances with more confidence and provide new levels of traceability.
Technology is crucial as we build the certification programs of tomorrow, but a mindset of continual improvement is what truly propels this industry today.
The Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) Certification program and the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) have agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for collaboration. Both organizations are focused on global expansion for promoting choice in responsible seafood practices while aiming to reduce costs for certifications, audits and other assurances.
Continuous Commitment to Best Practices in Animal Health and Welfare
When creating our BAP and BSP standards, we think about the fact that broad guidelines may cause unintended consequences given the complexities of seafood, which can differ greatly by species, production method and region. BAP standards address the most pressing issues when it comes to aquaculture.
What Is the Expectation of Worker Voice and Grievance Mechanisms on Certified Vessels?
The Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) has released the final report from an action research project undertaken through 2022. Supported by the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, the project engaged with over 150 stakeholders across more than 30 countries.
The Global Seafood Alliance’s “Spotlight Stories” highlight certified producers around the world and the stories of the people behind them. This Spotlight Story features MainStream Aquaculture, a BAP-certified barramundi producer in Australia.
H-E-B, Giant Eagle, Wakefern Signed on to National Seafood Month Campaign
Building on the success of last year’s campaign, this campaign is designed to educate consumers using earned and social media through GSA channels and via participation by key retailers, foodservice operators and seafood and meal delivery companies.
GSSI Recognition of BAP Certification Program Renewed
BAP was the world’s first aquaculture certification program to be recognized by GSSI in 2017. With the Nov. 7 GSSI announcement, BAP has now been successfully re-benchmarked for its Farm Standard, Salmon Farm Standard and Mollusk Farm Standard.
In 2023, the Operations department focused on finding ways to improve the certification experience for our facilities. We looked at ways we could improve communication surrounding important subjects (i.e. standard changes), and developed better tools to further assist with the certification process. Operations continues to focus on optimizing the certification experience, as it is our long-term goal to make the process as seamless as possible.
Noelle Wisneski
Certification Specialist Team Lead
GSA’s Program Integrity department made critical steps in 2023 to continue improving our ability to recognize responsible seafood across the world’s supply chains, regardless of the means of production. A key aspect of that was the full development of the Seafood Processing Standard 6.0, which has been streamlined and adapted to audit the specific activities of any seafood processing facility. We remain committed to monitoring and upholding the veracity of our certifications while working with stakeholders to advance key issues, such as climate-smart production, social accountability at sea and on land, and emerging best practices in animal welfare.
David Dietz
Manager of Standards Oversight
Promoting and protecting labor rights in the seafood industry is core to what we do. This year over 2,500 social responsibility non-conformities were identified and corrected, improving working conditions for tens of thousands, and during the standards development process, we strengthened the social pillar, including around living wage, responsible recruitment, and freedom of association, to drive continuous improvement.
Amy McGann
Director of Social Responsibility
Advancing responsible seafood practices globally requires communication – and GSA's Outreach department did lots of that in 2023. Outreach prioritized improving audience engagement from a marketing perspective through creating technological efficiencies. This has allowed more time for important things, like connecting with our community. It's always inspiring to me to connect with other like-minded seafoodies at our Seafood Summit!
Maddie Cassidy
Senior Marketing Specialist
GSA's IT Department is working to modernize our technology offerings; in doing so, the customer experience, effectiveness, efficiency and delivery of our platforms are greatly improving. By delivering modern interfaces, streamlined processes and digitization across standards, the IT Department is laying the foundation of the future for GSA and we are looking forward to bringing more of these advancements in 2024!
Dustin Green
Lead Software Engineer
Globally, GSA’s Market Development team has been focused on the value proposition of the BAP program and filling in gaps in the wild seafood industry, looking beyond the fishery. Our team has engaged top retail and food service organizations around the world to partner on how GSA can help these organizations achieve their own internal responsible sourcing goals with the help of the BAP or BSP programs, all while having a positive impact on the seafood industry.
Chris Keller
Vice President of Market Development
In 2023, the Operations department focused on finding ways to improve the certification experience for our facilities. We looked at ways we could improve communication surrounding important subjects (i.e. standard changes), and developed better tools to further assist with the certification process. Operations continues to focus on optimizing the certification experience, as it is our long-term goal to make the process as seamless as possible.
Noelle Wisneski
Certification Specialist Team Lead
GSA’s Program Integrity department made critical steps in 2023 to continue improving our ability to recognize responsible seafood across the world’s supply chains, regardless of the means of production. A key aspect of that was the full development of the Seafood Processing Standard 6.0, which has been streamlined and adapted to audit the specific activities of any seafood processing facility. We remain committed to monitoring and upholding the veracity of our certifications while working with stakeholders to advance key issues, such as climate-smart production, social accountability at sea and on land, and emerging best practices in animal welfare.
David Dietz
Manager of Standards Oversight
Promoting and protecting labor rights in the seafood industry is core to what we do. This year over 2,500 social responsibility non-conformities were identified and corrected, improving working conditions for tens of thousands, and during the standards development process, we strengthened the social pillar, including around living wage, responsible recruitment, and freedom of association, to drive continuous improvement.
Amy McGann
Director of Social Responsibility
Advancing responsible seafood practices globally requires communication – and GSA's Outreach department did lots of that in 2023. Outreach prioritized improving audience engagement from a marketing perspective through creating technological efficiencies. This has allowed more time for important things, like connecting with our community. It's always inspiring to me to connect with other like-minded seafoodies at our Seafood Summit!
Maddie Cassidy
Senior Marketing Specialist
GSA's IT Department is working to modernize our technology offerings; in doing so, the customer experience, effectiveness, efficiency and delivery of our platforms are greatly improving. By delivering modern interfaces, streamlined processes and digitization across standards, the IT Department is laying the foundation of the future for GSA and we are looking forward to bringing more of these advancements in 2024!
Dustin Green
Lead Software Engineer
Globally, GSA’s Market Development team has been focused on the value proposition of the BAP program and filling in gaps in the wild seafood industry, looking beyond the fishery. Our team has engaged top retail and food service organizations around the world to partner on how GSA can help these organizations achieve their own internal responsible sourcing goals with the help of the BAP or BSP programs, all while having a positive impact on the seafood industry.
Chris Keller
Vice President of Market Development
In 2023, the Operations department focused on finding ways to improve the certification experience for our facilities. We looked at ways we could improve communication surrounding important subjects (i.e. standard changes), and developed better tools to further assist with the certification process. Operations continues to focus on optimizing the certification experience, as it is our long-term goal to make the process as seamless as possible.
Noelle Wisneski
Certification Specialist Team Lead
Thank you for your support throughout 2023. This year, we successfully launched key initiatives that promise to advance seafood practices globally, including the expansion of our Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification program. As we look to the future, we are excited to continue driving positive change and innovation in the industry, ensuring a healthier ocean and a more responsible world for generations to come.
THE GSA TEAM
Advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy
Membership
Our members: The backbone of our mission
Organizations, producers, individuals and students that align themselves with GSA are advancing responsible seafood practices around the world.
50+
corporate members
8k+
total membership program
80%
member renewal rate
Like what you see in our Annual Report?
Show your support for responsible seafood practices. Join our network of thousands of producers, businesses, nonprofits, students and consumers by becoming a member today.
In August 2023, we released our second Global Impact Report. This publication marks a year of progress in promoting sustainable seafood initiatives, directly aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Below, you'll find a snippet from one of the highlighted projects in the report.
Certification as an instrument of change: A case study from southern Africa
If a fish farmer in southern Africa wants to access international seafood markets, what steps do they need to take? This question is the starting point for a fascinating study by Imani Development aimed at boosting trout exports from Lesotho. It is also the start of a journey for two farms that committed to the international aquaculture standards of Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and to making a host of improvements to reach full compliance.
Imani’s case study shows that the driver for change is market access, and it logs the improvements made over time to gain this access. As such, it constitutes a valuable, independent assessment of how certification standards can act as an instrument of change long before an auditor even sets foot on a farm.
Baselines
Voluntary certification programs like BAP are sometimes unjustly criticized for certifying the status quo, so it is important to provide evidence from field studies to demonstrate positive change on the water. The Imani study does this job very effectively by setting baselines and by measuring improvements against them.
In the normal course of events, few people have time to establish baselines, and no systematic records of the situation are kept before a farm gets certified. Hence, to an uninformed outsider, attaining certification may appear merely as a box-ticking exercise with an auditor signing off compliance on the day of the audit. This would ignore the months of hard work undertaken in advance. Farmers, wisely enough, will not undergo the expense of an audit until
they know they are likely to pass – they make improvements, and they are not content with the status quo.
Progress
The careful logging of baselines and progress in the Imani report lends itself to charting how farms improve. BAP standards comprise sets of compliance clauses divided into five key areas: food safety, social accountability, environmental responsibility, animal health and welfare and traceability. These key areas are the BAP pillars of responsible aquaculture, and they are plotted in the figures below for both farms in the study.
The triple impact of standards: Change before, during and after certification
BAP (and its sister for wild seafood BSP, Best Seafood Practices) is keen to maximize positive change and to better understand the mechanisms for inducing change. The Imani study shows how certification can drive improvements before certification and it thus helps to fill an important gap in our understanding. To understand change during and after the certification process, BAP has collaborated with other independent researchers (e.g., Michael Tlusty of the University of Massachusetts-Boston and Froukje Kruijssen of The Tropical Institute in the Netherlands).
The work by Michael Tlusty, through the systematic analysis of audit reports, has mainly focused on assessing improvements that are made between the initial audit and the granting of certification following corrective actions (i.e., those actions taken by the farm in response to any
deficiencies identified by the auditor). Unlike Imani, his work did not extend to field studies and the setting of baselines before farms undergo their first BAP audit. The work by Froukje Kruijssen of The Tropical Institute was a social impact study that involved analysis of audit reports and interviews in the field to assess how BAP compliance was impacting conditions for workers over time, but it did not set baselines. This again reveals how the Imani study fills an important gap.
Continuous improvement
Finally, it is important to note that BAP standards are not static: They are revised over time in response to technological and industry improvements and better understanding of aquaculture’s impacts. For example, the current BAP Farm Standard 3.1 is much more detailed, and it sets a much higher bar that the original BAP farm standards developed some 20 years ago.
(excerpt of the Global Impact Report from August 2023)
Consumer campaign results
Insights
Results from GSA's second consumer campaign
GSA conducted its second consumer-facing campaign in October 2023 to coincide with U.S. National Seafood Month. The objective was to continue to increase brand awareness for the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification program and drive sales of seafood products from BAP-certified producers.
Ten retail and food service partners signed on to participate, including Giant Eagle, Lidl, Wakefern and WinCo Foods. Campaign tactics included a social media campaign, targeted influencer engagement, promotion of new recipes, and national and regional consumer media outreach. Public relations efforts resulted in a reach of more than 2 billion during the promotional period, with top stories including a TV broadcast segment with dietitian Mia Syn, and articles in HuffPost, The Daily Meal, and Tasting Table, among others.
In 2023, the following media outlets reported on GSA and its affiliated brands:
Education
Education
Education
Education
Our educational offerings: Supporting the seafood industry
One of the pillars of our work in the seafood space is education. GSA has three educational products spanning three different media types to ensure that our audience receives information in the way that they learn best (online articles, in-person events, and audio podcasts).
The Advocate magazine
Since GSA’s rebrand in 2021, the Responsible Seafood Advocate has continued expanding its coverage into fisheries, showcasing both responsible aquaculture and fisheries-related news, technical papers and feature articles 48 weeks per year. The online magazine is supported by a weekly newsletter – with 2023 open rates averaging 20% – and a monthly Editor's Note, which boasted open rates of 35%. Subscribe to the Advocate below to get our latest stories delivered to your email inbox every Tuesday.
Looking for visibility among qualified seafood professional leads?
Advertise on the Advocate, our online magazine covering a dynamic and evolving industry with objectivity and integrity. The Advocate appeals to industry professionals, academics, marketplace representatives, and more.
Co-hosted by the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association, the 22nd edition of the Global Seafood Alliance’s Responsible Seafood Summit is in the books! The event was a success, with over 360 delegates from around the world descending upon beautiful Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, to discuss the foremost issue shaping the future of seafood.
Connect, collaborate, commit
Same mission, expanded offerings
GSA has been encouraging collaboration and facilitating dialogue throughout the seafood community since 2001. Our 2023 event was the first under a rebranded name, Responsible Seafood Summit, reflecting the expansion to include wild-caught content in the conference program.
The future of seafood
Innovations & insights
Held at the Saint John Delta in early October 2023, the event featured over 65 speakers addressing subjects ranging from our signature production data analysis and forecast, to automation and regulation in seafood production, to rural development success stories, to fish welfare. The event featured field trips to aquaculture facilities and fishing vessels, innovation awards, and networking opportunities.
No two events are the same!
Seafood Summit 2024
The 23rd edition of the Responsible Seafood Summit, co-hosted by Seafood Scotland, will be held at the Fairmont St. Andrews in historic St. Andrews on Scotland’s east coast from Oct. 21 to 24, 2024. Complete with industry field trips, dynamic conference sessions and a golf tournament, 2024's event will be one to remember. Registration is open now.
In 2023, The Aquademia Podcast continued to grow its audience, providing thousands of listeners around the world with 61 episodes – more than 2,700 minutes of quality audio content. We interviewed 39 diverse guests, expanding our content's scope to include more personal stories and achieving a balanced mix of episodes between fisheries and aquaculture topics. Aquademia continues to be described as the seafood industry’s top podcast, and it will continue to reach audiences around the world as we expand our reach into 2024.
A testament to the industry’s dedication to responsible seafood production and sourcing, GSA’s third-party certification programs grew 18% in 2023, as the year ended with 3,959 certified processing plants, farms, hatcheries and feed mills in 43 countries. The retention rate for the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) program was 91%, demonstrating producers’ commitment to the full spectrum of responsibility, including environmental and social responsibility, food safety and animal welfare.
Certified producers
across the supply chain
Total producers
BAP & BSP
3959
2023
3394
2022
Retention rate
BAP
91%
2023
88.2%
2022
Program growth rate
BAP
18%
2023
4.7%
2022
Global impact
Non-conformities addressed
in 2023 by pillar
A core tenet of our certification programs is continuous improvement. To support this, when an audit takes place and the results include non-conformities to our standards, we require all non-conformities to be resolved and fixed to receive certification. Remediation is a central part of our program and is critical to supporting best practices across the industry.
Food Safety
2666
Social Accountability
2623
Environmental
2307
Animal Welfare
493
Traceability
339
EMPLOYMENT
350,000
people employed at BAP-certified facilities
PRODUCTION
62
BAP-certified species
Global production by species
BAP percentage of global production by species
Atlantic Salmon
Salmo Salar
33.1%
Tilapia
Oreochromis spp / Oreochromis niloticus
23.2%
Vannamei
11.1%
Pangasius
9.5%
Production data source: UN FAO
Metric tonnage
BAP-certified farm and plant volume by species
GSA Board of Directors
Michael Berto, Walmart
Eric Bloom,Eastern Fish Co., Inc
Rittirong Boonmechote,Thai Union Group
Joe Chekouras,Mazzetta Company
George Chamberlain,The Center for Responsible Seafood
Marcus Coleman,Seafish
Julie Decker, Pacific Seafood Processors Association (PSPA)
Hon. Rick Doucet, AGW Consulting LTD
Tony Downs,Sysco Corp.
Laura Garrido,Pescanova USA
Bill Herzig,Sustainable Strategies & Initiatives
Robert Jones,The Nature Conservancy
Allen Kimball,Allen K Kimball Consulting LLC
Mike Kocsis, Global Seafood Alliance
Hannah Koski, US Foods
Santhana Krishnan,Maritech
Hannah Lindoff, SeaShare
Arni Mathiesen,Government of Iceland
Robins McIntosh,Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Co., Ltd
Craig Morris, Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers
Gorjan Nikolik,Rabobank
Ron Patton,Grobest Global Service Inc.
Terry Stachowiak,Rich Products
Wally Stevens,Global Seafood Alliance
Standards Oversight Committee
Birgitte Krogh-Poulsen, Independent Social Development Consultant
Braddock Spear, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Kathy Janiga, FSQ Mark Foods, Inc
Ken Corpron, Global Seafood Alliance
Lukas Manomaitis, U.S. Soybean Export Council
Patrick Blow, Marks and Spencer
Dr. Simon Bush, Wageningen University
Tyler Isaac, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Dr. Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, Worldfish
Dr. Hiroe Ishihara, University of Tokyo
Duncan Leadbitter, Fish Matter
Mike Park, Scottish Whitefish Producers Association
Toby Middleton, Marine Stewardship Counsel
David Dietz, Manager of Standards Oversight, Global Seafood Alliance