Seafood Task Force Holds 1st India Working Group Meeting - Feb '25
Visakhapatnam, India, 25 February 2025
The Seafood Task Force (STF), a leading trade association that represents members of global tuna and shrimp supply chains, held its first in-person working group meeting in India in February for shrimp supply chain members (processors, feed mills, fishmeal plant) and buyer members.
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.
Held in Visakhapatnam, the meeting brought together key Indian STF members to implement an action plan addressing child labour and restrictions on freedom of movement in the Indian shrimp supply chain. The meeting, held at Welcomhotel Devee Grand Bay, was attended by STF Indian shrimp supply chain members, alongside buyer members, National Joint Directors, and state representatives from the Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA), as well as the STF Leadership Team.
Discussions focused on finalising the Train-the-Trainers programme, which will be conducted in English in May 2025 in Vizag with the view to enhancing awareness and capacity-building on child labour and freedom of movement issues. Collaboration with MPEDA was explored, with proposals to support schools through infrastructure and teaching improvements and to integrate social accountability guidelines into the shrimp farm enrollment and renewal processes. Worker personal safety guidelines were also discussed, with a commitment to developing best management practices to further prevent restrictions on freedom of movement. Moreover, progress was made on the India Shrimp Traceability Protocol, and STF members reaffirmed their accountability for supply chain mapping and STF assessment activities to enhance transparency and ethical standards across the industry.
MPEDA representatives confirmed their commitment to collaborate with the STF and its members in aligning the Indian shrimp industry with international market requirements. Their support signals a shared vision for strengthening the industry’s future sustainability and reputation on the global stage.
Following the working group meeting, the STF Leadership Team and India Working Group Co-Leads held separate high-level discussions with MPEDA’s Chairman and leadership team, as well as the President and Secretary General of the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI), on 26th-27th February. These meetings aimed to gain central government support and ensure that STF initiatives reach SEAI’s extensive network of 450 member companies. MPEDA showed a positive stance toward embedding social accountability guidelines in farm enrollment and renewal processes and enhancing traceability requirements, while SEAI expressed its full support in mobilising the Train-the-Trainers programme and extending participation opportunities to its members.
STF Executive Director, Martin Thurley said:
“We had an excellent in-person meeting of our India working group in February. India is a key market for our members and we are supporting them to take a lead on improving critical labour and ethical compliance issues. The Seafood Task Force has consistently driven measurable improvements in seafood supply chains, and we are committed to ensuring that these best practices are implemented within India’s shrimp industry. We look forward to continuing this exciting work with our members to foster a culture of compliance that extends beyond traditional certification and drives lasting, positive change.”
The Seafood Task Force remains dedicated to working and supporting the Indian market and meetings such as these are continuous key milestone which help bolster the STF’s broader Asia-Pacific strategy.
-Ends-
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/