TSSS 10th Special Feature : Completing a Massive Jigsaw Puzzle Spanning the Entire Society for Sustainable Seafood Worldwide(Part 2)
INTERVIEW
Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship (SeaBOS) is a global initiative launched in 2016 that aims to lead a science-based global transformation towards sustainable seafood production and a healthy ocean.
SeaBOS connects nine of the world’s largest seafood companies — which account for 19% of global marine catch*（as of March 2024） — together with scientists. It is unique in that it promotes collaboration between academia and what it calls keystone actors, or companies that have major influence within the global seafood industry. We spoke with SeaBOS managing director Martin Exel about his background and motivations, the drivers behind the initiative’s rising success, and its plans for the future.
Martin Exel
Managing Director,
SeaBOSAfter obtaining a Bachelor of Science from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand and a Graduate Diploma in Fisheries Technology from the Australian Maritime College, Martin has been involved in the seafood industry for over 40 years. He has worked in many different roles, from a fisher to research and management positions in government and academic institutions. In his free time, he is also a passionate angler. He has been Managing Director of SeaBOS since 2019.
Martin fishing in Tasmania
—Martin, you’ve been involved in the seafood industry for over 40 years. Could you describe your path up until now?
Seafood and the seafood industry have always been at the core of my being. I grew up in New Zealand and started fishing at the age of three, then in university, had many chances to spend time on commercial fishing boats and research vessels. Then after graduation I went into commercial fishing, doing longline and trawl fishing. Over the course of this I began to want to learn more about the ocean, so after about two years as a fisher, I became a volunteer at the Marine Science Laboratories in Australia. Then a year later I did a graduate diploma in fisheries technology at Australian Maritime College.
—What kind of research did you do?
I developed trawl fishing nets to prevent bycatch. After graduation I actually received funding from the Australian government to build these nets, and then was lucky enough to get a job with them travelling around the country introducing this and other new types of fishing gear and technologies to help improve catches, reduce their environmental impact and prevent bycatch. After that I worked for the government in charge of tuna fisheries management, and ended up becoming the general manager of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority.
After 13 years in government, I figured out that I wasn’t a government person. (laughs) So I moved to a company called Austral Fisheries, and worked with them for 25 years.
—How did you become a part of SeaBOS?
I had semi-retired from Austral Fisheries and moved to Tasmania — where I was still working for them part time — when I was approached by Stockholm University, asking if I would be interested in applying for the job of managing director with SeaBOS. The goal of SeaBOS to lead global transformation towards sustainable seafood production and a healthy ocean is exactly my true purpose in life. It felt like an incredible opportunity to leverage my experience and give back to the sector I had worked in all my life, so I agreed in no time. That was back in 2019.
—What kind of work do you typically engage in at SeaBOS?
I’m a sort of bridge builder. I’m responsible for connecting CEOs and their executives with science teams, and handling all the daily administration for the five SeaBOS task forces (see below). This can be everything from setting budgets, organizing meetings and taking minutes, to meeting with different companies and organizations from around the world. I usually work from Tasmania and use online tools like Zoom, but also travel to other countries when necessary.
For details, see Task Forces page on SeaBOS website.
—According to the first SeaBOS Impact Report published in 2023, the five task forces achieved most of their goals in 2022. What contributed to this success?
The biggest contributor was the science team’s huge commitment to helping industry executives understand the issues so that they could devise some solutions. The industry’s dedication to implementation also helped lead to success.
There were challenges, of course, like the different stages of progress at each company. To overcome this, member companies have been sharing the different lessons from their successes and failures, which is helping make implementation effective.
In part 2, we’ll hear more about the Japanese companies that are a part of SeaBOS, Martin’s experience with the Tokyo Sustainable Seafood Summit (TSSS) and his outlook for the future of the sea, and what’s in store at SeaBOS.
Original Japanese text: Miho Soga
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