The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) prides itself on leveraging the power of the marketplace to help create new economic solutions to solve pressing environmental problems, and to protect nature and human health. In the field of seafood, it works on restoring fisheries, protecting habitats and promoting safer seafood to consumers with a Seafood Selector.
The organization recently appointed Melanie Siggs as senior director for its EU Oceans Program, and SeafoodSource contributing editor Nicki Holmyard caught up with her in London to find out what she will be focusing on this year.
How does the EDF get involved in seafood matters and how does this approach differ from other NGOs?
As the private sector becomes more engaged in creating and supporting the changes in fisheries that enable them to fish for the market and plan for the future, so EDF are well placed to work with them, helping to provide extensive scientific and management experience. We seek ways to 1) link well-managed fisheries to markets that value them appropriately, and 2) involve the seafood supply chain as a key stakeholder in the fisheries decision-making process. We believe that these two approaches are critical to significantly growing the supply of sustainable wild seafood.
What do you believe is the biggest challenge for the seafood industry at present?
Right now EDF is working in Europe to implement the outcomes of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). We are focused on working with local partners in member states to put policies and best practices in place that will meet the requirements of the CFP, resulting in optimum outcomes for conservation and fish populations, while ensuring that fisheries have viable futures that can provide income, food and livelihoods. We hope the seafood industry will be one of our partners in this endeavor.
The European and North American seafood industries have made great strides in promoting sustainable fishing. They’ve worked with producers and standard setters to verify supplies and to support fisheries improvement. However, there is not enough fish to meet their sourcing criteria and empower the next generation of enlightened buyers. Our priority is therefore to find ways to financially and politically support continued improvement of fisheries management, which is something we intend to work on with industry.
Do you have any specific plans for development in Europe?
The EU Oceans program is fully focused on supporting CFP implementation right now and we have begun working with partners and fisheries in three countries to create pilot projects that demonstrate best practice. We are currently working in Sweden, Spain and the U.K., with some interest in France through the Channel scallop fishery. Our aim is to continue to invite fishermen to come together in dialogue to find the best implementation solutions.
What does your appointment in Europe signify for EDF?
As one of the world’s biggest fishing regions and seafood consumers, Europe has a global role to play in ensuring healthy fisheries and coastal communities, not only for its own citizens, but also as part of the bigger global system and as an exemplar to other regions.
EDF recognized that the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy provided the regulators and fisheries with an opportunity to improve the management and address some of the inherent problems that had been difficult to address under the previous regulations.
The reform is now delivered and there is a real need to provide committed support to fisheries and regulators to find the best implementation designs such that people and fish prosper under the new system. EDF has considerable experience of offering and providing such support, and I’m delighted that they have demonstrated their commitment to offering that support through my appointment and the team of experts now based in Europe.
If you could have dinner with just one person in the seafood world, who would it be and why?
A hard question to answer! There are so many people I know doing great work, but I would like to take time to talk to Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, about his views on the seafood sector and realizing a vision that enables healthy fisheries, in partnership with fishers, farmers, regulators and consumers. He achieves this across Unilever, with innovative and stretching solutions for different commodities and challenges. A man to inspire others!
