SHIPPING TOWARDS NATURE POSITIVE FOR THE OCEAN PATHWAYS FOR CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS SUMMARY FOR THE SEAFOOD SECTOR

The document outlines a framework for the seafood industry to align with 'nature positive' goals—halting biodiversity loss by 2030 and achieving recovery by 2050. It introduces the 'Seafood Improvement Hierarchy' (Avoid, Improve, Scale, Transform) to guide companies in managing their impacts on marine ecosystems. Key recommendations include eliminating sourcing from overfished or illegal fisheries, adopting MSC and ASC certifications, improving traceability, and advocating for global policy changes to ensure a sustainable blue economy.

• The seafood sector is highly nature-dependent and faces significant sustainability challenges; the proportion of production from stocks fished outside biologically sustainable limits rose from 10% in 1974 to an estimated 35.5% in 2021.
• Aquaculture has grown rapidly, with 2022 production reaching 130.9 million tonnes, surpassing wild-capture supply for the first time, which introduces risks such as habitat conversion, pollution, and pressure on wild-caught feed species.
• The 'Seafood Improvement Hierarchy' provides a four-step conservation framework: 'Avoid' (eliminating sourcing from high-impact or illegal sources), 'Improve' (incentivizing sustainable management), 'Scale' (improving broader production systems), and 'Transform' (supporting long-term systemic advocacy and outcomes).
• To manage risk and avoid harm, companies are advised to eliminate sourcing of Endangered, Threatened and Protected (ETP) species, avoid illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and stop sourcing from farms that deforested mangrove or wetland habitats since 1999.
• Companies should utilize established global standards for verification, such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for wild-capture fisheries and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) for farmed seafood, alongside the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) standards.
• Transitioning to nature-positive corporate actions presents a significant economic opportunity, with World Economic Forum analysis suggesting it could generate up to US $10.1 trillion in new business opportunities and 395 million jobs by 2030.

APA

Carrow, A. W., Lynch, L., Kroner, R. G., Cross, A., Macleod, M., Thomas-Smyth, A., & Richardson, M. (n.d.). SHIPPING TOWARDS NATURE POSITIVE FOR THE OCEAN PATHWAYS FOR CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS SUMMARY FOR THE SEAFOOD SECTOR. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/2357/NPOP_Seafood_Sector_Summary.pdf

Chicago

Carrow, Alanna Waldman, Lauren Lynch, Rachel Golden Kroner, Alison Cross, Merrielle Macleod, Alice Thomas-Smyth, and Mark Richardson. SHIPPING TOWARDS NATURE POSITIVE FOR THE OCEAN PATHWAYS FOR CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS SUMMARY FOR THE SEAFOOD SECTOR. WWF International, n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/2357/NPOP_Seafood_Sector_Summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Carrow |first1=Alanna Waldman |last2=Lynch |first2=Lauren |last3=Kroner |first3=Rachel Golden |last4=Cross |first4=Alison |last5=Macleod |first5=Merrielle |last6=Thomas-Smyth |first6=Alice |last7=Richardson |first7=Mark |title=SHIPPING TOWARDS NATURE POSITIVE FOR THE OCEAN PATHWAYS FOR CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS SUMMARY FOR THE SEAFOOD SECTOR |publisher=WWF International |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/2357/NPOP_Seafood_Sector_Summary.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{carrowndshipping, author = {Carrow, Alanna Waldman and Lynch, Lauren and Kroner, Rachel Golden and Cross, Alison and Macleod, Merrielle and Thomas-Smyth, Alice and Richardson, Mark}, title = {{SHIPPING TOWARDS NATURE POSITIVE FOR THE OCEAN PATHWAYS FOR CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS SUMMARY FOR THE SEAFOOD SECTOR}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/2357/NPOP_Seafood_Sector_Summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }