GETTING UNDERWAY: 2022 BASELINE ASSESSMENT OF ASSET MANAGERS’ APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (E&S) RISKS IN SEAFOOD-RELATED INVESTMENTS

The 2022 baseline assessment by WWF reveals that most asset managers fail to address seafood-related E&S risks, with an average score of 13% across 38 sub-indicators. While many acknowledge biodiversity risks generally, very few have actionable policies or specific expectations for seafood investee companies. The report recommends that asset managers formalize biodiversity risk statements into policies, regularly review seafood investments against sustainable blue economy principles, and develop SMART sustainability targets.

• Asset managers generally fail to address seafood-related E&S risks in their portfolios, with the average score for the assessed group being 13% across 38 sub-indicators. Only one asset manager achieved a score of 59% by disclosing an ocean sustainability policy, while four asset managers scored 0%.
• There is a significant gap between general acknowledgments of biodiversity risk and the implementation of actionable policies. Although 76% of assessed asset managers reference biodiversity, only one-third of these references are found in policy documents where the manager commits to taking action.
• Specific focus on the seafood sector remains very low among asset managers. Only 27% of those acknowledging biodiversity risks mention the marine or ocean context, and only one of the 42 assessed asset managers has publicly disclosed seafood-specific E&S expectations for investee companies.
• While 88% of asset managers use engagement as part of their E&S risk management, very few target the seafood sector specifically. Only 10% of assessed managers reported engagement activities specifically related to seafood-related E&S issues.
• Investment products specifically designed for seafood sustainability are rare. Although 83% of asset managers offer green financial products (ESG funds), only 7% referenced investments or products specifically focused on sustainability in the seafood sector.

APA

Lynch, L. M., & de Vos, K. (2023). GETTING UNDERWAY: 2022 BASELINE ASSESSMENT OF ASSET MANAGERS’ APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (E&S) RISKS IN SEAFOOD-RELATED INVESTMENTS. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/696/mibxceugk_3Seafood_AM_Report.pdf

Chicago

Lynch, Lauren Meghan, and Klaas de Vos. GETTING UNDERWAY: 2022 BASELINE ASSESSMENT OF ASSET MANAGERS’ APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (E&S) RISKS IN SEAFOOD-RELATED INVESTMENTS. WWF International, 2023. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/696/mibxceugk_3Seafood_AM_Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lynch |first1=Lauren Meghan |last2=de Vos |first2=Klaas |title=GETTING UNDERWAY: 2022 BASELINE ASSESSMENT OF ASSET MANAGERS’ APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (E&S) RISKS IN SEAFOOD-RELATED INVESTMENTS |publisher=WWF International |date=February 2023 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/696/mibxceugk_3Seafood_AM_Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lynch2023getting, author = {Lynch, Lauren Meghan and de Vos, Klaas}, title = {{GETTING UNDERWAY: 2022 BASELINE ASSESSMENT OF ASSET MANAGERS’ APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL (E\&S) RISKS IN SEAFOOD-RELATED INVESTMENTS}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/696/mibxceugk_3Seafood_AM_Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }