Tuna Sustainability: A Model Bigger than its Niche with ISSF President Susan Jackson

Sheppard Mullin's Nota Bene

Seafood sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the world of environmentalism. This week’s episode features an interview with International Seafood Sustainability Foundation’s president Susan Jackson. We discuss ISSF’s history, tuna sustainability, unique partnerships between industry, scientists and NGOs, transparency in the wake of cynicism and more.

Susan Jackson is President of ISSF, a global partnership among scientists, tuna processors, and environmental nonprofits to undertake science-based initiatives for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks, reducing bycatch and promoting a healthy marine ecosystem.

Prior to joining ISSF, Jackson was the vice president for government/industry relations and seafood sourcing for Del Monte Foods, where her responsibilities included government relations at the federal, state, and local levels, and acting as Del Monte’s representative to trade and industry associations. Susan was also responsible for the purchase of all raw tuna and tuna co-pack manufacturing for Del Monte’s StarKist brand. Susan joined the H.J. Heinz Company in 1997 as an attorney in the law department, later working with the company’s seafood sourcing and other areas of procurement.

What We Discussed in This Episode:

• What was the one tuna stock management failure that set ISSF in motion?
• What was unique for industry, scientists and NGOs to work together?
• How does transparency and auditing work in a multinational industry?
• What difficulties lay ahead for the seafood industry?
• What are the long-term challenges in regards to sustainability?
• How has ISSF become a model bigger than their niche?

Resources Mentioned:

Susan’s TedTalk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlI25M91Kbc

https://iss-foundation.org/

Nota Bene Episode 4, Creating a Socially and Environmentally Conscious Supply Chain with Susan Jackson (9.26.2018)

Contact Information:

Susan Jackson bio