March madness isn’t only about basketball—at NOAA Fisheries it’s also about Seafood Expo North America (SENA), held every March in Boston for the past 40 years.
The largest seafood trade show in North America, SENA is a dizzying gathering of seafood companies and interests from around the world and attended by thousands of visitors. From farmed fish, shellfish, and seaweed products to wild-capture seafood and “value-added” products like fish sticks, SENA is a lens into the complex world of global seafood trade.
NOAA Fisheries is once again hosting a booth pulling together expertise from across federal programs engaged with the seafood supply chain, including Customs and Border Protection and NOAA Fisheries’ Seafood Inspection Program. If you plan to attend, we hope you can join one of our panel discussions (below) or drop by our booth #181. The entire conference program can be viewed here.
Sunday, March 13, 2022
3:30 PM-5:00 PM (Room 153 A/B)—NOAA’S Plans to Ensure Resilient Marine Fisheries and Strengthen the U.S. Seafood Industry
NOAA Fisheries works closely with fishing and seafood stakeholders to ensure resilient marine fisheries in the U.S. and to strengthen the seafood industry. Ultimately, our goals include expanding domestic seafood supply, leveling the playing field on trade, and modernizing policies and infrastructure for a more efficient seafood supply chain. During this session, participants will hear from NOAA leadership about the agency’s top priorities under the Biden-Harris Administration, including supporting economic and environmental resiliency of our coastal communities by providing the seafood industry with the critical resources needed for generating greater demand for U.S. seafood.
Monday, March 14, 2022
8:30 AM-10:00 AM (Room 204A)—NOAA Town Hall on National Seafood Strategy
NOAA Fisheries is developing a suite of support actions, constituting the National Strategy for Seafood Resilience and Competitiveness. The strategy is intended to address various challenges of the seafood industry, focusing on actions that NOAA can accomplish in the next five years given current capabilities. As part of our ongoing effort to incorporate feedback, we are inviting stakeholders to meet with NOAA leadership to provide input on the scope of the strategy and the proposed actions.
11:45 AM-12:45 PM (Room 152)—Moving from Traceability to Transparency: Diverse Stakeholders Driving Seafood Transparency Expansion
Consumers want to know that the seafood they purchase is not part of illicit activities, labor abuses or undermining seafood sustainability. Recognizing that transparency must be broadly adopted throughout the seafood supply chain at all levels, there has been growing engagement by a wide set of international stakeholders. Alexa Cole, Director of NOAA Fisheries Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce, joins a panel of private sector stakeholders that will explore changes in the market expectations and the latest efforts to expand seafood transparency by civil society, industry, and government. It will also highlight new findings and recommendations from a forthcoming comparative study of transparency initiatives adopted in non-seafood sectors that can offer valuable lessons to increase the reach and effectiveness of seafood transparency initiatives.
2:45 PM-3:45 PM (Room 151B)—Harnessing Public-Private Partnerships to Combat Forced Labor in the Seafood Sector
Combating forced labor in the fishing industry is a priority for the seafood sector and has emerged as an especially difficult challenge for governments, industry, and civil society. Addressing harmful labor conditions requires a comprehensive approach due to the inherent industry risks, the complexity of the global seafood supply chain, and the diversity of authorities participating in the fishing sector. NOAA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Fisheries, Dr. Kelly Kryc, will lead this session that brings together representatives of the U.S. government and outside stakeholders under the auspices of the 21-member U.S. Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing, which was established to provide a whole-of-government approach to combating IUU fishing and associated issues like forced labor. The wide-reaching discussion will focus on the current landscape, challenges, and innovative opportunities to leverage public-private expertise and resources to combat labor issues in the seafood sector.
