“Seafood is one of the least transparent yet most systemically important commodity sectors for the ocean economy,” said Francois Mosnier, head of nature at Planet Tracker.
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Concerns over poor transparency in seafood supply chains and the financial risks tied to unsustainable practices have led Planet Tracker to launch a new portfolio analysis tool for seafood investors and lenders, the organisation has announced.
The London-based non-profit think tank has added the function to its open-access Seafood Database, which it says is designed to help financial institutions identify where seafood-related risks can be found within their holdings, and which companies may warrant closer scrutiny.
"It links company–level seafood sourcing to independently derived environmental metrics, shining a light on exposure to overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, destructive fishing practices and broader ocean health risks," the company states.
Planet Tracker says the database covers 300 companies with exposure to the seafood sector, including fishing, aquaculture, feed, processing, brands and distribution.
“Seafood is one of the least transparent yet most systemically important commodity sectors for the ocean economy,” said Francois Mosnier, head of nature at Planet Tracker.
“With this update, we are giving investors a way to see, in minutes, where seafood-related risks sit in their portfolios and where targeted engagement can drive the biggest change,” Mosnier said.
Planet Tracker said its analysis found "mixed sustainability performance" in the sector. Aspects such as governance, stock sustainability and compliance were found to be the areas on companies performed best, with around 20-30% of assessed companies rated as "Good", according to the group.
However, performance on fishing practices and transparency was weaker, it said, with about half of the companies assessed rated "Poor" in these categories, while fewer than 10% were rated "Good".
According to Planet Tracker, these weaknesses can translate into financial risk. The group said overfishing, illegal fishing, destructive practices and poor traceability can create regulatory, operational and reputational exposure in seafood supply chains, with possible implications for long-term profitability and asset values.
The updated Seafood Database is available free online as part of Planet Tracker’s broader seafood analytics work.
