Our oceans are one of our planet's most vital resources.
Without their protection, entire ecosystems are at risk of collapse.
The waters of Southeast Asia are among the most valuable,
supporting the livelihoods and food security to millions.
Each week, headlines continue to emerge that stressed the danger that our seas are in.
Chief among these threats is illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
These practices can undermine sustainability efforts,
distort data on fish caught, and can induce serious human rights abuses.
How can we manage what we can't see?
Sea food supply chains are complex and operate in some of the least connected areas.
By increasing regional connectivity to document seafood's journey to our plates,
we cannot only detect and reduce illegal activities,
but also generate data to help fisheries to be more sustainable.
This benefits everyone.
The USAID Oceans and Fisheries Partnership is working with the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
as well as both government and private sector partners across Southeast Asia
to develop fully electronic traceability systems.
These convert existing paper-based record-keeping with fully digital systems
that trace along the supply chain and fill gaps where data is currently not being gathered.
They connect each member of the seafood supply chain even in the most remote locations.
Let's take a look.
At sea, fishers enter catch and human welfare related data
via vessel monitoring technology that tracked the vessels location.
The information is transmitted to a central database
that will be added to throughout the product's journey.
Back on shore, the catch is met by buyers and brokers
who enter key product information on a mobile application.
The apps provide additional business and finance management tools,
rewarding users by helping them to manage loans and track their earnings.
Next, some seafood is immediately exported,
leaving the port with all the data required to be smoothly imported to international markets.
The seafood sent to processors is transformed into its final state,
with data captured along the way.
Finally, the seafood is shipped to local and international markets.
Consumers are able to buy the seafood knowing that it's fully traceable,
responsibly sourced, and that their purchase rewards legal and sustainable producers
while keeping illegal products off the market.
With electronic seafood traceability systems, we can better manage fisheries
to reclaim our ocean's health and abundance,
address human welfare concerns,
and build stronger global marketplaces that support global prosperity and food security.