As demand for nature-positive seafood grows, the seafood industry has a timely opportunity to work differently – and more effectively – with the NGO community. A new generation of global alliances, shared tools, and coordinated “breakthrough” initiatives is creating practical opportunities for seafood companies to accelerate impact, reduce risk, and strengthen long-term supply chain resilience. 

Tropical coastal aquaculture – particularly shrimp farming near mangroves – illustrates both the challenge and the opportunity. Mangroves are essential to coastal protection, water quality, climate resilience, and community livelihoods, yet they remain closely linked to aquaculture expansion. Through efforts such as the Global Mangrove Alliance and the Mangrove Breakthrough, there is now a coordinated global push to halt mangrove loss, expand protection, and restore degraded areas – explicitly through partnerships with mangrove-positive businesses, including seafood producers, buyers, and investors. 

This session will focus on how the seafood industry can leverage existing NGO expertise, science, and frameworks – rather than building fragmented, one-off solutions – to deliver credible, measurable outcomes at scale. Speakers will explore how partnerships at the intersection of mangrove conservation, aquaculture, and coastal communities can support stronger sustainability commitments, more resilient production systems, and durable business value. 

Participants will hear practical examples of how mangrove-positive aquaculture and place-based approaches are being implemented today, and how seafood companies can engage – through sourcing strategies, investment, and collaboration – to strengthen both environmental performance and supply chain stability in the regions that matter most.