The Global Squid Supply Chain Roundtable (Squid SR) has published details of its participants’ squid sourcing in the Ocean Disclosure Project (ODP), becoming the first precompetitive collaboration to participate in the project.
The Squid SR focuses on engaging supply chains to support the long-term sustainability of squid fisheries. The roundtable is composed of international importers and buyers of squid sourced mainly from Asia-Pacific and South American squid fisheries. The roundtable has published an ODP profile containing a list of the fisheries supplying squid to 21 out of the 22 Squid SR participants in 2023, alongside information on the sustainability and environmental impact of those fisheries.
The Squid SR participants that have voluntarily shared information about their sourcing are: Aquastar, Beaver Street Fisheries, Cabomar, Confremar Group, Congalsa, Export Packers, Fortune International, GlobalpeZ, Grupo Alfrio, Grupo Profand, High Liner Foods, Lanzal Productos del Mar S.L., Lund’s Fisheries/Sun Coast Calamari, Lyons Seafoods, Netuno USA, PanaPesca, Quirch Foods, Santa Monica Seafood, Seafresh Group, Simplot Australia Pty, Ltd., and Wofco.
Tania Woodcock, Project Manager for the Ocean Disclosure Project, said, “We are pleased to welcome the Global Squid Supply Chain Roundtable to the Ocean Disclosure Project as the first initiative of its kind to publicly disclose sourcing information through the project. By participating in the ODP and making the details of their seafood sourcing publicly available, the members of the roundtable are advancing the transparency of their squid products. We hope that this will support the aims of the roundtable to improve the sustainability of global squid fisheries.”
Carmen Gonzalez-Valles Martinez, Director of supply chain roundtables at Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, said,
“The Global Squid Supply Chain Roundtable has taken a significant step in disclosing its squid sourcing for the first time in 2024. By participating in the ODP, we have gained a better understanding of the Squid SR’s representativeness in the global squid supply chain and its leverage by fishery. As a result, we will be actively seeking to engage new companies and new markets in the Squid SR to further advance its leverage in global squid supply chains.”
In compiling this sourcing information, some SR participants encountered challenges in identifying fisheries characteristics such as vessel flags or specific fisheries regions, highlighting the impact of international market requirements that allow imported squid products to be labeled as Squids nei. In these cases, a precautionary approach has been applied to the information disclosed in the ODP profile by identifying bigger regions. SR participant companies have committed to improve their traceability and conduct due diligence protocols to evaluate the risks in their supply chains.
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership started the ODP in 2015 to provide a valuable information resource for responsible investors, seafood consumers, and others interested in sustainable seafood. To date, 46 companies from around the world have participated, including major retailers, fish feed manufacturers, suppliers and distributors, and meal kit and subscription food delivery companies.
The Global Squid Supply Chain Roundtable’s full profile can be viewed at: https://oceandisclosureproject.org/companies/global-squid-supply-chain-roundtable
About the Ocean Disclosure Project
Established in 2015 by Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, the Ocean Disclosure Project (ODP) is a global platform for voluntary disclosure of seafood sourcing. The ODP is dedicated to increasing transparency in seafood by encouraging companies to publicly report on the seafood they source. The ODP provides a common template through which companies can report the fisheries and fish farms they source from, alongside information on the environmental sustainability of those sources, including certification and improvement projects, ratings, and environmental impacts. This information is used to create annual profiles reflecting the company’s sourcing from the previous year, which are then published on the ODP website. Visit us at www.oceandisclosureproject.org.
About Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Founded in 2006, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) is a marine conservation organization working toward a world where the oceans are healthy, all seafood is produced sustainably, and everyone has access to sustainable seafood. We leverage the power of seafood buyers and retailers in every part of the seafood supply chain to rebuild depleted fish stocks, reduce the environmental impacts of fishing and fish farming, address social issues in fishing, and advance economic opportunities for fishers and their communities. Our Supply Chain Roundtables (SRs) allow seafood suppliers to work together in a pre-competitive environment to promote and support improvements in fishery and aquaculture practices, management, and policy. Visit us at www.sustainablefish.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
