The Monterey Bay Aquarium announced a new public-private partnership to improve the sustainability of whiteleg shrimp production in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh to reach a minimum of a Seafood Watch Good Alternative rating or equivalent by 2025. Andhra Pradesh is responsible for approximately 70% of India’s total shrimp production.

The partnership includes Aquaconnect, Avanti Frozen Foods, Bon Appetit Management Company, The Cheesecake Factory, Chicken of the Sea, Devi Seafoods, Fair Trade USA, IDH, Ram’s Assorted Cold Storage Limited, Resonance, Shrimp Insights, Solidaridad and Tucker Consulting Services. 

“This multi-stakeholder partnership is working with the entire supply chain on identifying and improving the environmental and social challenges associated with farmed shrimp production in Andhra Pradesh,” said Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly, vice president, Global Ocean Initiatives at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The work uses The Partnership Assurance Model, a new approach to driving large-scale improvement in the aquaculture industry. Local stakeholders and supply chain actors co-design, implement and verify improvements while acknowledging the realities of local farm operations. 

“We are excited to have helped establish a pre-competitive partnership that will advance social and environmental improvements for farmed shrimp in India,” said Nick Sterling, associate director of Sustainability of The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated. “We also expect the project to serve as a model for how the Partnership Assurance Model can drive change, at scale, across the seafood industry." 

This new partnership will connect farming communities, industry and the Indian government to improve the environmental and social performance of farmed shrimp and ensure equity in the supply chain. Verified progress towards these goals will be publicly reported on the Seafood Watch website.