Seafood Task Force Supports Thai Gov’t Smart Master Fisher Training - Mar '25
Bangkok, 21 March 2025
Underscoring our ongoing commitment to promoting sustainable fishing practices in Thailand, the Seafood Task Force (STF) completed its latest series of training sessions with the Thai Department of Fisheries between 18-20 March in Hua Hin.
Under the banner -'Thai Smart Master Fisher for Sustainable Fisheries' - this training brought together 52 vessel owners and captains from 6 coastal provinces in Thailand. The event covered fisheries laws, sustainable practices, stakeholder consultation, and safety training, including CPR and water rescue.
The training aims to develop skilled fishing vessel masters helping them to better understand and implement sustainable fishing practices. From complying with relevant regulations to promoting responsible labour practices at sea.
The intensive programme covered critical areas including fisheries management, marine conservation, occupational health and safety and international fishing standards. The STF led workshops on occupational health and safety, including basic first aid, CPR, and water rescue techniques.
STF Executive Director, Martin Thurley said:
“We are forging our important working relationship Thailand’s Department of Fisheries. Having both organised and participated in these sessions over the past decade, we know firsthand the effort that goes into these events and the tangible impact that they have in driving both nation and industry wide improvements. By fostering a culture of compliance that goes beyond certification, we are collectively building the conditions required for our industry to trade with confidence”.
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 organisation was established in response to previous concerns about Thai shrimp production and has since developed a step-by-step management process to help retailers, brands, and supply chain partners set clear expectations across the industry.
The 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.
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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/