Inside the Fisheries Impact Lab — Charting a Path for UAE Seafood Sustainability

Seafood Souq was proud to co-host the Fisheries Impact Lab alongside Majra – National CSR Fund and the Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MoET), bringing together more than 35 stakeholders from across the UAE's fisheries value chain for a full day of collaborative problem-solving in Sharjah.

The Lab convened government entities, researchers, industry leaders, seafood producers, and supply chain innovators around a shared goal: building practical, actionable pathways to strengthen the sustainability, resilience, and competitiveness of the UAE fisheries sector.

Why This Matters Now

The UAE's fisheries sector sits at the intersection of three national priorities: food security, economic diversification, and environmental stewardship. As pressure on marine ecosystems intensifies and demand for local seafood grows, the case for closer collaboration between regulators, industry, and researchers has never been stronger. The Fisheries Impact Lab was designed as exactly that: a platform to align priorities, share knowledge, and co-create solutions across the entire seafood value chain.

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Five Themes, One Value Chain

Discussions were structured around five core areas critical to the sector's future:

1. Sustainable Fish Stock Management: strengthening monitoring, improving data-driven decision-making, and promoting responsible fishing practices to protect marine biodiversity.
2. Aquaculture Innovation and Growth: scaling sustainable aquaculture through technology adoption, investment, and capacity building.
3. Traceability and Supply Chain Efficiency: improving transparency and quality assurance from catch to consumer, an area where Seafood Souq's own traceability infrastructure plays a direct role.
4. Food Security and Local Seafood Production: reducing import dependency and building a more resilient national supply chain.
5. Regulatory and Industry Collaboration: aligning policy and industry action to accelerate innovation across the sector.

What Was Said

Speaking at the conclusion of the Lab, representatives from Majra underscored the ambition behind the initiative. Majra framed the effort as bringing stakeholders together under a national umbrella to align priorities and develop scalable solutions for the sector's long-term sustainability, noting that improvements in transparency, supply chain efficiency, and technology adoption strengthen both competitiveness and measurable impact aligned with the UAE's Sustainable Development Priorities.

Sarah Shaw, CEO of Majra – National CSR Fund, described the Lab as a reflection of Majra's broader commitment to advancing the UAE's Sustainable Impact Ecosystem through cross-sector partnerships that turn national challenges into opportunities for economic, social, and environmental value.

As Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Founder and Co-CEO of Seafood Souq, stated, "The fisheries sector presents a significant opportunity to create sustainable economic and environmental impact while supporting national food security and enhancing the resilience of the UAE’s food supply chains. The Fisheries Impact Lab brings stakeholders together under a national umbrella to align priorities and develop scalable solutions that advance the long-term sustainability of the sector."

From Conversation to Action

The value of a session like this isn't just the room full of the right people,  it's what happens after. Majra will publish a comprehensive Fisheries Impact Lab Report, structured around three deliverables:

• Insights & Challenges: a record of the priority issues and opportunities raised during the session.
• Actions & Pilots: concrete recommendations, new partnerships, and pilot projects designed to drive near-term impact.
• Strategic Roadmap: a longer-term framework for sustained sector collaboration.

That report will serve as both a reference point for stakeholders and a working roadmap for the sector going forward.

Seafood Souq's Role

As a strategic partner on this initiative, Seafood Souq's participation reflects our ongoing commitment to building a more transparent, efficient, and resilient seafood supply chain from bait to plate. Traceability and supply chain efficiency, one of the Lab's five core themes, sits at the heart of what we do every day, and we're glad to bring that perspective into a room built for action, not just discussion.

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"Enhancing transparency, supply chain efficiency, and the adoption of innovation and advanced technologies not only strengthens sector competitiveness but also delivers credible, measurable and tangible impact aligned with the UAE’s Sustainable Development Priorities. Through this collaboration, we are working to build a more resilient and sustainable ecosystem capable of meeting the growing demand for locally produced seafood."

- Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Founder and Co-CEO of Seafood Souq

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We look forward to the release of the full Fisheries Impact Lab Report and to working alongside Majra, MoET, and our fellow stakeholders to turn today's priority list into tomorrow's pilot projects.

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