Horace Dawson, the executive vice president and general counsel for Red Lobster Seafood Co., has been selected to join the board of directors for independent, not-for-profit organization Global Seafood Assurances (GSA), effective immediately.
Launched by the Global Aquaculture Alliance in Brussels, Belgium at Seafood Expo Global last spring, GSA is a venture aimed at addressing marketplace expectations for assurance involving environmental responsibility, social responsibility, food safety, and animal welfare for both farmed and wild-caught seafood. All standards in the GSA portfolio “will be of the highest quality and governance, meeting internationally recognized benchmarking systems,” the organization explained in a press release. These standards may be owned by GSA, managed by GSA, or work in partnership with GSA, it said.
Dawson oversees legal affairs as well as international operations, communications, government and community relations, and sustainability for Red Lobster, the world’s largest casual-dining seafood franchise, operating more than 700 restaurants in the United States and Canada. Before coming to Red Lobster, Dawson worked for Hard Rock Cafe International, where he was the company’s first in-house attorney, as well as Telemundo Network. He holds several degrees from Harvard University, where he was an undergraduate, studied law, and earned a masters of business administration.
“I am very much looking forward to working with everyone on the GSA board to help seafood-relates industries in providing assurances of a sustainable and responsibly sources seafood supply,” Dawson said.
GSA Executive Director Wally Stevens said Dawson brings valuable experience to the board.
“Horace Dawson’s involvement with global seafood restaurant operations brings an exceptional level of expertise to the GSA board,” Stevens said. “He, along with the recently announced board members Ally Dingwall of Sainsbury’s and Marcus Coleman of Seafish, provide for excellent representation of both the marketplace and fisheries stakeholders.”
GSA is currently focused on “filling the gaps in assurance,” it said. The organization will take over the Seafish Responsible Fishing Scheme (RFS) standards – Version 2, which will address labor conditions aboard fishing vessels, is in development – from Seafish in May 2020. Seafood Processing Standards for both wild and farmed seafood, which are currently being piloted, is also a pressing priority for GSA at this time.
GSA was formed with encouragement from a number of marketplace leaders and the leadership of GAA. GAA has provided the initial funding for the new independent not-for-profit organization as it gains momentum during its early stages.
Image by of Horace Dawson/Red Lobster Seafood Co.
