David Little and Birgitte Krogh-Poulsen, two well-known authorities on social license in aquaculture, will deliver keynote addresses on June 23 at the TCRS Shrimp Summit in Bali, Indonesia. Their presentations will set the stage for three days of sessions and events that will explore the issues driving change in the shrimp industry.
The long-term stability of the global seafood industry relies on its ability to earn and maintain social license. To do so, it must operate in ways that are consistent with the social values and expectations of a variety of stakeholders, including consumers, governments, and local seafood producing communities. Engaging small-scale shrimp farmers in the effort to improve social license is imperative.
Little, chair of Aquatic Resource Development and deputy director at the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, will assess the local and global challenges facing the smallholder shrimp sector. “For smallholders to remain integral to global shrimp supply chains, the values and benefits to producers and associated stakeholders need to be protected and better understood and communicated locally and globally,” said Little. “Transparent and attractive narratives of smallholder shrimp farming are needed that inform purchase and consumption to compete with alternatives.”
Krogh-Poulsen, senior fellow for Human Rights and Social Equity at Monterey Bay Aquarium, will highlight the need for the shrimp aquaculture industry to focus on decent and fair working conditions and secure livelihoods as part of its efforts to build social license. “There is an urgent need for governments, businesses, and other organizations to work together across the seafood industry to ensure that people who produce seafood have decent working conditions, receive a fair income, and are able to participate in the decisions that affect their lives,” said Krogh-Poulsen.
Krogh-Poulsen will highlight the aquarium’s Seafood Social Risk Tool (SSRT), which profiles seafood production systems and identifies areas that are at higher risk of forced labor, human trafficking, and hazardous child labor. She will also introduce the Aquarium’s Socio-economic Learning Framework for small-scale seafood production (SELF), a tool that can identify the specific challenges and opportunities to improve farming or fishing practices, respect human rights, and build equitable and stable supply chains.
