SmartFish participates in panel on traceability in small-scale fisheries at Seafood Expo Global 2026
“Traceability systems must be integrated into the daily operations of cooperatives and deliver value beyond compliance. When properly designed, these systems help improve inventory management, reduce losses, streamline administrative processes, and strengthen decision-making.”
Cecilia
SmartFish’s Executive Director participated in the panel “Between Net & Market: Intermediaries Navigating Traceability and Transparency in Small-Scale Fisheries” during Seafood Expo Global 2026, held in Barcelona from the 21st to 23rd of April in 2026.
The panel brought together organizations working directly with small-scale fisheries in different regions of the world, including Abalobi (South Africa), MDPI (Indonesia), and the traceability technology company Wholechain.
During the session, panelists shared experiences implementing digital traceability systems in small-scale fisheries, highlighting that traceability in these contexts is not simply a smaller-scale version of industrial systems, but requires solutions specifically designed for their operational reality. A key message from the panel was that traceability in small-scale fisheries is achievable, but it does not happen automatically. It requires adaptation of technology, ongoing support, and, importantly, co-design with fishing organizations to ensure that systems respond to their needs.
In her intervention, Cecilia Blasco emphasized that traceability systems must be integrated into the daily operations of cooperatives and deliver value beyond compliance. When properly designed, these systems help improve inventory management, reduce losses, streamline administrative processes, and strengthen decision-making.
The discussion also highlighted the role of traceability as a tool to make visible the significant contribution of small-scale fisheries to global seafood production—an important sector that often remains underrepresented in statistics and markets due to the lack of appropriate data systems.
As part of the session, SmartFish presented a short video showcasing the implementation of traceability systems in the field, illustrating how cooperatives integrate these tools from landing through commercialization.
Participation in this panel is part of SmartFish’s ongoing work to strengthen fishing organizations and connect them to responsible markets, contributing to more transparent, efficient, and sustainable seafood value chains.