Seafood Task Force Shares Expansion Plans At SENA Boston - March '25
Boston, USA, 25 March 2025
The Seafood Task Force (STF), a leading trade association that represents members of global tuna and shrimp supply chains, held a series of in-person working group meetings in Boston at the Seafood Expo North America (SENA). These meetings brought together key industry stakeholders to share and demonstrate how critical challenges in seafood supply chains are being addressed by the organization.
Founded in 2014, the STF brings together the world’s largest retailers, seafood brands and their seafood partners to drive supply chain oversight and continuous improvement from vessel to plate.
The main meeting, held on 17th March, attracted over 60 participants from across the entire seafood value chain, including major retailers, importers from North America, and processors from India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Mexico. The 90-minute session focused on the theme "Expanding Confidence to Trade in Indonesia, Vietnam, and India" with particular emphasis on shrimp supply chains.
Prior to this, on 15th March, the STF presented to the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), delivering a condensed 30-minute overview of both shrimp and tuna supply chain initiatives.
During these meetings, STF members highlighted the organisation's unique approach to tackling forced labour, illegal fishing, and sustainability challenges through full supply chain collaboration. Unlike individual company efforts, STF's collective industry response brings together retailers, brands, food service companies and their supply chain partners in a pre-competitive environment to implement practical solutions that deliver measurable impact.
The meetings showcased the STF's practical approach through supply chain mapping, risk assessment, government collaboration, association collaboration and capacity building programmes, including worker training. Members stressed the urgent need for expanded industry participation to scale these efforts and accelerate progress on human rights and environmental sustainability.
Details of STF's upcoming training programmes were also shared, including initiatives launching in May 2025 to improve labour conditions in shrimp farming communities globally. The organisation also outlined plans for its annual Summit in October 2025, where members will assess progress and determine future actions.
STF Executive Director, Martin Thurley said:
Whilst individual companies commit to laws & values, no single company can adequately influence required practices, nor can governments or other collective efforts tried to date. It takes entire value chains working together to create meaningful change in seafood supply chains. So, these Boston meetings represented another step forward in mobilising industry-wide action to address the sector's most pressing challenges. For the STF to achieve success we must be true to our vision of fully traceable, socially conscious, and environmentally sustainable seafood supply chains.”
The Seafood Task Force remains dedicated to working and supporting global seafood markets and meetings such as those held in Boston are continuous key milestones which help bolster the STF’s broader global strategy.
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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/