Through a Sea Pact Lens: Reflections on Seafood Expo North America 2025
By Andrea O’Donnell, interim Vice Chair, Sea Pact Member Board, Ipswich Shellfish
As always, Seafood Expo North America (SENA) 2025 in Boston was a whirlwind — and Sea Pact was everywhere. With representatives from all 12 of our member companies in attendance, we were proud to make our presence felt across the expo floor, on stage at panels, and at meaningful industry gatherings throughout the week.
Better Food Future: A Night at the New England Aquarium
One of the standout moments of the expo was Better Food Future: A Night at the New England Aquarium, held on Sunday, March 16. This special evening was co-hosted by Sea Pact in collaboration with our incredible sponsors: Wholechain, Pepper, and Kvarøy Arctic. Around the glow of the Aquarium’s Giant Ocean Tank, we gathered with partners, peers, and changemakers to network, share ideas, and celebrate a shared commitment to sustainability and the innovative producers that are shaping the future of sustainable, traceable seafood.
The responsibly sourced menu was a true showcase of innovation and collaboration in the industry, featuring ingredients from Sea Pact members, sponsors, grant recipients, as well as other sustainability leaders:
Yellowfin tuna sourced from Robert Nunez’s F/V Miss Jessy, a Costa Rica-based vessel piloting electronic monitoring (EM) technology, provided by Fortune Fish & Gourmet. Additionally, the EM pilot involves The Nature Conservancy, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, and Wholechain.
Kanpachi provided by Blue Ocean Mariculture, the US’s first Aquaculture Stewardship Council certified offshore fish farm.
Blue catfish from the Chesapeake Bay provided by J.J. McDonnell. Blue catfish is an invasive species that is detrimentally impacting Chesapeake’s ecosystem but there is a growing market demand for the fish.
Marine Stewardship Council certified smoked ahi tuna from Acme Smoked Fish.
Sea grapes or limu (aka ocean caviar) from Ocean Era.
Redfish provided by Pine Island Redfish, a land-based, regenerative aquaculture producer that utilizes Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) technology to produce redfish (red drum) while repurposing waste nutrients from the fish to cultivate nutrient-rich and climate stabilizing plants.
Responsibly produced Atlantic salmon from Kvarøy Arctic.
Responsibly produced shrimp provided by Chicken of the Sea through their “Shrimp with a Purpose” initiative that showcases how shrimp aquaculture can cut carbon emissions by 20-45% while enhancing productivity.
Grouper provided by Beacon Fisheries from a Fishery Improvement Project in Mexico.
Sea Pact members and staff at the Better Food Future dinner during Seafood Expo North America 2025.
Photo: Allegro Photo
Collaboration in Action: Sea Pact’s In-Person Meeting
SENA also gave us the invaluable opportunity to meet in person as a Sea Pact collective. During the meeting, members and advisors were able to hear directly from the team behind the Costa Rica/Panama Tuna EM Project, an initiative we’ve supported and engaged with virtually over the past few months.
Throughout a series of Sea Pact-hosted virtual meetings leading up to the Expo, members provided key insights and feedback around identifying viable market opportunities for EM sourced tuna. These conversations helped inform the project’s direction and design with some members now exploring sourcing opportunities from the pilot.
During the in-person session in Boston, we were joined by:
Alvaro Teran, The Nature Conservancy
Robert Nunez, Captain of the F/V Miss Jessy (Costa Rica longline vessel)
Jeff Douglas, Integrated Monitoring (EM provider)
Their updates detailed a cutting-edge approach to tuna traceability using EM systems and RFID tagging. This technology not only tracks the tuna from catch to consumer, but also audits environmental impact, social conditions onboard, and critical quality control parameters like temperature — a holistic solution aligning well with Sea Pact’s mission.
As this pilot continues, we’re eager to help expand its reach, identify scalable models, and connect the dots between innovation, transparency, and market demand.
Leading by Example: Panels, Workshops, and Events
Sea Pact member companies were also front and center throughout the week, featured in an impressive lineup of panels and events that spotlighted some of the most urgent and exciting topics in sustainable seafood:
Human Rights Due Diligence Panel, Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions, Featuring Renee Perry, Culimer USA
FishWise’s Mahi FIP Verification and Traceability Workshop, Participation from Logan Kock, Santa Monica Seafood and Sam Grimley, Sea Pact
Improving Transparency: How Electronic Monitoring Can Benefit the Seafood Industry, Featuring Stacy Schultz, Fortune Fish & Gourmet
The Future of Sustainable Tuna: What’s Next?, Featuring Renee Perry, Culimer USA
The U.S. Sushi Market – NFI Sushi Council, Featuring Michael McNicholas, Culimer USA
The Economics of Sustainability and Responsibility in Seafood, Featuring Rob Snyder, Acme Smoked Fish and Renee Perry, Culimer USA
Seafood Industry Climate Awards, hosted by Acme Smoked Fish
Workforce Development, Infrastructure Resilience & Waterfront Access, Featuring Stephanie Pazzaglia, JJ McDonnell
Wrapping Up — and Looking Ahead
Seafood Expo North America continues to be a critical touchpoint for Sea Pact — both in amplifying our collective impact and in nurturing the connections that keep this work moving forward. It’s a reminder that the progress we make in sustainability, traceability, and social responsibility can’t happen in silos. Collaboration is not just helpful — it’s essential.
To our members, advisors, sponsors, and peers: thank you for making this year’s SENA one for the books. We’re already counting down to 2026, but in the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more about Sea Pact’s mission or how to get involved, we’d love to connect.
Until next time — we hope to SEA you soon!