Seafood Task Force Brings Thai Fisheries Expertise to MPEDA’s Seafood Expo Bharat 2026 - Sep '26
The Seafood Task Force (STF) recently facilitated participation of fisheries expertise from Thailand's Department of Fisheries (DOF) at the Marine Products Export Development Authority’s (MPEDA) Seafood Expo Bharat 2026 in Chennai.
Knowledge and experience on seafood traceability and catch certification was shared with India's seafood industry at this important event.
Seafood Expo Bharat is MPEDA's annual flagship event, uniting international exporters, importers, investors, government agencies, farmers, processors, feed and fishmeal providers, aquaculture technology providers, researchers and industry leaders from across the seafood value chain. This year’s event, which was attended by STF members and the STF executive team, also saw key government spokespersons, fisheries experts, and relevant stakeholders all come together to discuss innovation, policy and regulatory improvements as well as market growth opportunities.
STF has worked closely with MPEDA since early 2025 on industry-wide improvements to social accountability and traceability. As part of this ongoing and successful cooperation, MPEDA asked whether STF would be able to facilitate the invitation of an expert from Thailand's DOF to speak on traceability and catch certification.
Thanks to the STF, Mrs. Supanoi Subsinserm an expert in Fish Inspection and Quality Control was able to attend as a representative of the Government of Thailand's Department of Fisheries. Where she spoke about Thailand's proven integrated framework for combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing through strong governance, digital documentation and end-to-end supply chain transparency.
Thailand has step changed its fisheries governance in response to historic IUU fishing concerns through comprehensive legal, institutional, and monitoring reforms. The country continues to strengthen its fisheries ordinances, processor-to-vessel, regulations along with its Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) systems, to ensure legal compliance across the seafood supply chain. Thailand has also established end-to-end traceability systems covering aquaculture, wild-caught fisheries, imported aquatic animals, and exported fishery products, which can act as a good example to other countries and markets on how to ensure and protect complete chain-of-custody from source to market. Key techniques have included: standardized electronic documentation such as landing declarations, marine catch purchasing documents, import movement documents, processing statements, and catch certificates, all of which support transparent product tracking, while export certification is backed by production records, coding systems, inventory controls, and raw material balance verification to demonstrate that exported seafood does not originate from IUU fishing.
Mrs. Subsinserm said: “These measures have strengthened law enforcement, safeguarded international market access, enhanced consumer confidence, promoted transparency and supported the long-term sustainability of Thailand's fisheries sector. Thailand's experience shows what is possible when governance, technology and industry collaboration come together to deliver credible traceability.”
An MPEDA representative, thanking the Government of Thailand for its valuable support, said: "Mrs. Subsinserm shared valuable insights into Thailand's governance systems for end-to-end supply chain traceability, including the key steps taken to reach its current level of progress. These insights will be highly beneficial to MPEDA as it works to establish a governance framework for implementing and managing its own traceability systems."
Martin Thurley, CEO of the Seafood Task Force, said:
“As a global seafood industry convener, we are always looking for ways to strengthen knowledge sharing, traceability and catch certification expertise across global seafood supply chains. Facilitating Mrs. Subsinserm's participation at Seafood Expo Bharat is a great example. of that in action. We will continue to work with the governments to help support them with all parties are ready to meet evolving international market requirements."
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About the Seafood Task Force:
The Seafood Task Force (STF) was established in 2014 to restore global confidence to trade, following concerns about social and environmental abuse in global tuna and shrimp supply chains. It is made up of over 60 major retailers, brands, food service companies and their supply chain partners.
The STF drives supply chain oversight at scale, pioneering a pro-competitive approach that makes it easier for its members to meet international standards and growing due diligence requirements.
The STF is a US-based, not-for-profit trade association established for the seafood industry by the seafood industry. Its vision is a future where its members’ seafood supply chains are fully traceable, free from the risk of human rights violations and free from environmental degradation.
For more information: https://seafoodtaskforce.global/