The Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions has hired Frazer McGilvray to be its first-ever executive director. The organization works to connect conservation groups that work with businesses representing more than 80 percent of the North American grocery and institutional food service markets, with the goal of increasing sustainability, including seafood sustainability.
A native of Scotland, McGilvray was most recently the executive director and board member of Malama Maunalua, a community-based, nonprofit stewardship organization in Oahu, Hawaii. He has also worked at the State of Hawaii Department of Land & Natural Resources, Conservation International and the Marine Stewardship Council.
“I am delighted to be the first executive director of the Alliance,” McGilvray said. “The conservation sector has come a long way and is now working collaboratively to address complicated issues related to seafood. The Alliance is growing, and is well placed to provide help, support and direction to that movement, and I am looking forward to playing my part in not only improving sustainable seafood sourcing, but also seeing positive change in the water.”
The Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions developed the executive director role after the number of its participating organizations increased from 21 to 34 in the past three years.
“[We] created this new role to harness the Alliance’s potential and, through strategic leadership, guide the community to achieve greater collective impact,” it said in a press release. “McGilvray is an internationally renowned marine natural resource management professional with more than 25 years of experience. Having worked throughout East Asia and the Indo-Pacific, he has extensive knowledge on marine resource management across several continents. He has worked both on local projects and those that span multiple countries. McGilvray has advised and helped shape government policy in many countries to improve fisheries management, coral reef resilience, food security and economic benefits.”
Timothy Fitzgerald, the director of impact at EDF’s Fishery Solutions Center and an Alliance Steering Committee member, praised McGilvray’s experience and enthusiasm.
“The Alliance has seen impressive growth in recent years and our community is committed to collaborate in new and meaningful ways,” Fitzgerald said. “We knew that we needed seasoned leadership to help guide our burgeoning coalition toward its vision for a sustainable seafood system.”
