Novotel becomes first hospitality brand to join the Seafood Task Force

Novotel has become the first hotel brand to join the The Seafood Task Force (STF), a global coalition that focuses on improving oversight and ethical standards in tuna and farmed shrimp supply chains.

The company, which has 600 hotels in 68 countries, said the decision strengthens its three-year "ocean commitment", developed with WWF and unveiled in 2024, and marks a further step in its efforts to improve transparency in its seafood sourcing.

According to Novotel, the initial emphasis will be on its operations in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, where it plans to work with the Seafood Task Force to improve traceability and address identified sustainability and social risks linked to tuna and farmed shrimp. The group said several of its hotels across Southeast Asia will take part.

The Seafood Task Force brings together companies involved in global tuna and shrimp supply chains, serving what it estimates to be more than 350 million customers. Members aim to meet international social and environmental standards by ensuring seafood is fully traceable and responsibly produced throughout the supply chain.

Novotel stated that joining the initiative builds on the Sustainable Seafood Principles it developed with WWF France earlier this year. These include a commitment to remove more than 350 endangered species from menus by 2027, rely on MSC-certified wild catch or responsibly sourced local species, and use certified ASC or organic farmed salmon and shrimp.

The company has also launched a Fishery Improvement Project in Kerala focused on squid, expanded traceability work through Seafood Souq in the Middle East, and begun a European procurement programme to increase supplier transparency.

Nadege Keryhuel, Global Vice-President for the Novotel brand, said the partnership with the Seafood Task Force is a “critical next step” in its traceability goals.

"We are proud to lead the industry in taking concrete action to protect our oceans by becoming the first hospitality brand to become a member," Keryhuel said in a press release.

"Through our partnership with the STF, our teams across Southeast Asia will have access to world-class expertise and practical tools to drive meaningful change in how we source tuna and farmed shrimp. This commitment is embedded in our broader ocean roadmap, which aims to make Novotel best-in-class in reducing environmental impact," she added.

The hospitality brand’s wider ocean strategy covers reducing plastic and carbon footprints, improving the sustainability of its food offering, expanding ocean education, and supporting five WWF France marine conservation projects. Novotel said 600 hotel teams have now completed its Ocean Awareness Training, and that the company has backed WWF activities including seagrass protection, removal of abandoned fishing gear and marine turtle tracking.

Seafood Task Force Executive Director Martin Thurley said Novotel’s involvement shows “true leadership”, arguing that the hospitality sector has significant influence over demand for sustainable seafood. He said the organisation looks forward to working with Novotel to apply practices intended to support healthier marine ecosystems and stronger fishing communities.

About the Seafood Task Force

The Seafood Task Force (STF) is a not-for-profit trade association established in 2014 to restore global confidence to trade, following concerns about social and environmental abuse in global tuna and shrimp supply chains. It is made up of more than 50 major retailers, brands, food service companies and their supply chain partners. The organisation describes its vision as "a future where its members' seafood supply chains are fully traceable, free from the risk of human rights violations and free from environmental degradation."