Contributed by: Juanita Zorrilla, SUBMON
For yet another year SUBMON’s team had the opportunity to participate in the 2026 edition of the Seafood Expo in Barcelona. There is a particular moment at conferences when, after moving from one session to another, patterns begin to emerge. At first, the topics seem disconnected: traceability systems, stakeholder engagement, communication strategies, and so on, but gradually, a shared narrative takes shape. This was exactly the feeling after attending several sessions at Seafood Expo Global 2026: despite the diversity of perspectives and geographies, there is a growing convergence in how we think about engaging seafood consumers.
One of the most striking aspects was how the conversation around seafood is expanding beyond the product itself. Increasingly, attention is being paid to what lies behind it: the journey from ocean to plate, the people involved and the systems that sustain it.
From transparency to trust
In discussions on digital traceability, the focus was not only on technology, but on trust. There is a global effort to improve how data is collected and shared across the supply chain, driven in part by regulatory requirements, but also by a clear shift in consumer expectations. People want to know where their food comes from, how it was produced, and what impact it has.
Yet, this push for transparency also reveals underlying tensions. While large-scale systems are moving toward greater standardization, fragmentation persists, especially when it comes to smaller producers, and also through geographic locations. The challenge is not only about generating data, but about making it meaningful and accessible, without leaving parts of the sector behind. In many ways, this reflects a broader question that surfaced repeatedly: how can we build systems that are both rigorous and inclusive?
This question became particularly tangible in a session focused on stakeholder engagement in India. The example presented went beyond traditional certification schemes and introduced a landscape approach to aquaculture, one that considers entire regions as interconnected socio-ecological systems. In this model, sustainability is not something applied to individual farms in isolation, but something co-created across communities, industries, and ecosystems. What was especially compelling was how this approach also opened the door to addressing social dimensions, including human rights, alongside environmental goals. It was a reminder that sustainability, when approached holistically, can bring together dimensions that are often treated separately.
At the same time, it was impossible not to see parallels with initiatives closer to home. Across different contexts, there is a shared effort to reach consumers in ways that feel relevant and authentic. Communication is no longer just about delivering information; it is about creating connections. When messages resonate with people’s identities, cultures, and everyday realities, they can shift perceptions and behaviors in a much more meaningful way.
When seafood becomes a story
This is where creativity enters the picture. Several discussions highlighted how seafood is still too often treated as a generic commodity, stripped of its context and story. And yet, behind every product there is a narrative waiting to be told: about the fishers and farmers, about the ecosystems, about traditions and innovations. Reimagining how seafood is presented, through storytelling, branding, or new market approaches, can transform not only its perceived value but also the way consumers relate to it. As one session suggested, when growth slows down, innovation must accelerate, and that innovation does not come only from technology, but from a broader way of thinking.
Even challenges that might seem purely technical or regulatory can be reframed as opportunities. The increasing demand for sustainability information, for instance, can drive better coordination across the sector. Initiatives that promote the use of invasive species for food show how environmental problems can be turned into solutions that benefit both ecosystems and markets. And efforts to develop shared frameworks for data and collaboration point toward a future where transparency is not a burden, but a common language.
What becomes clear, in the end, is that the future of seafood is being shaped at the intersection of many forces: technology and tradition, global systems and local realities, data and storytelling. Engaging consumers is not about choosing one approach over another, but about weaving these elements together in ways that make sense to people.
For SEA2SEE, these reflections resonate strongly with our ongoing work. Improving seafood literacy is not only about providing information, but it is also about opening up the stories behind seafood and making them accessible, relatable, and meaningful. Because when consumers understand not just what they are eating, but everything that surrounds it, the connection becomes deeper. And perhaps that is where real change begins: not in a single innovation or solution, but in the gradual alignment of many perspectives, all pointing toward a more transparent, inclusive, and human way of thinking about seafood.