Seafood Task Force formulates 2025 Thai Shrimp Supply Chain On-The-Ground Action Plan - Feb '25
Bangkok, 18 February 2025
The Seafood Task Force (STF), a leading trade association that represents members of global tuna and shrimp supply chains, held its 2025 Thai Shrimp Member Planning Meeting in February for its Thai members and industry stakeholders.
This annual meeting brought together 30 delegates, both in-person and virtual, to discuss key industry priorities for the Thai shrimp supply chain in 2025.
Highlights of this meeting included analysis of an enhanced sampling methodology for upcoming assessments in Thailand to improve industry-wide impact and effectiveness.
Aggregate data from last year’s farm assessments to determine root causes and focus areas for this year’s remediation programmes was also discussed.
Additionally, the group reviewed the methodology for addressing non-compliances from STF assessments, ensuring that corrective actions are both beneficial to the industry and practical for members to implement.
STF’s Social Code of Conduct was also reviewed. To maintain its relevance in the International marketplace for seafood, STF has commissioned a gap analysis study benchmarking its current Social Code against international standards. Members also examined the results of a benchmarking study to ensure continuous improvement and alignment with global best practices.
A consistent theme and true benefit of the STF is how working together collaboratively across the supply chain yields successful results in terms of driving improvements at scale. The group agreed to engage with select organizations to expand outreach to more shrimp farms in Thailand, particularly small-scale farms. Training venues in 2025 will be organized based on location clusters, grouping adjacent provinces together to improve accessibility and participation.
With regard to environmental improvements, the group committed to conducting further baseline assessment of carbon emissions for nominated farms. This initiative marks an important step toward understanding and reducing the shrimp industry’s carbon footprint in Thailand.
Founded in 2014, the STF brings together the world’s largest retailers, seafood brands, and their supply chain partners to strengthen oversight and drive continuous improvement from vessel to plate. The trade association was established in response to previous concerns about Thai shrimp production and has since developed a step-by-step process to help retailers, brands, and supply chain partners set clear expectations and continuous improvement across the industry. STF provides its members with practical tools to ensure seafood is fully traceable, ethically sourced, and environmentally responsible. By aligning with international social and environmental standards and meeting growing due diligence requirements, STF members can enhance their ability to compete in the global market.
Over the past decade, STF’s initiatives have delivered tangible results, including national traceability in Thailand to improve supply chain transparency, greater accountability in fishing practices and on-the-water oversight, the establishment of industry-wide codes of conduct for ethical labour practices, improvements in responsible recruitment practices to protect workers, and significant progress in reducing environmental degradation within the industry.
STF Executive Director, Martin Thurley said:
“This is the original group founded 10 years ago. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing it in action as it continues to make step-by-step improvements that are relevant, realistic and actionable. We are fostering a new culture of compliance that goes beyond certification. A culture that creates the conditions required by global buyers seeking greater confidence to trade.”
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For media inquiries, please contact: stf@thephagroup.com
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 40 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/