Seafood Task Force Brings STF Tuna Risk-Based Assurance Program to Vessel Owners in Mainland China - Oct '26
Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China, October 15, 2026
The Seafood Task Force (STF) has brought its ongoing remediation program under its new Tuna Risk-Based Assurance Program to Mainland China’s distant-water fishing sector by hosting a one-day program in Zhoushan in Zhejiang Province on July 29, 2026. The event saw regional fisheries associations come together for a full day of health and safety training and introduction to the STF Code of Conduct for local vessel owners. The program was co-organized with STF member Bolton Food and Tri Marine and was held at the Goushan Campus of the Zhoushan Tourism and Commerce School.
The day opened with a meeting hosted by the Zhejiang Distant-Water Fisheries Association, the regional affiliate of the China Overseas Fisheries Association (COFA). Mr. Chen Bin, Secretary-General of the Zhejiang Distant-Water Fisheries Association and Ms. Liu Di, Secretary-General of the Zhoushan Distant-Water Fisheries Association, met with Siti Masithah, Ron Gutierrez, and Zainal Arifin of the STF, as well as Max Gao and Selina Yang of Bolton Food and Tri Marine.
Following the meeting, 22 purse seine and longline vessel owners and their representatives took part in a full-day training that introduced the STF Code of Conduct, while also focusing on occupational health and safety on board. The sessions were delivered by Future Li and Condi Sheng of SGS-CSTC’s Ningbo Branch, who boast extensive audit experience in social compliance, quality management and safety training.
Training was built around gear-specific risk scenarios for both purse seine and longline vessels, covering net handling and hook retrieval risks, personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements for each type of operation, and practical onboard safety exercises.
To gauge the effectiveness of the training, participants were asked to complete a test on vessel occupational health and safety before and after the training. The participants’ average score rose from 6.5 to 8.1 out of 9, an improvement of 25%, and participants gave the training an average satisfaction score of 9.41 out of 10.
The Zhoushan program forms part of the capacity-building pillar of the STF’s five-year risk-based assurance and remediation program for tuna vessels. It follows the vessel owner health and safety training the STF co-hosted with FCF in Taiwan in April 2026 and its responsible recruitment workshop for Indonesian recruitment agencies in Central Java in June 2026. With STF members representing around 80% of the global tuna market, engaging vessel owners and industry bodies in Mainland China is central to improving living and working conditions for crew across the distant-water fleet.
Martin Thurley, CEO of the Seafood Task Force, said:
“Zhoushan is home to one of China’s most important distant-water fishing communities. By working with STF members - Bolton Food and Tri Marine and the Zhejiang associations, we are connecting directly with vessel owners who make day-to-day decisions about crew welfare.
We look forward to building on this initial engagement with our partners in China.”
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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/