Seafood Legacy Co., Ltd.
Founder/CEO

Wakao Hanaoka

Wakao founded Seafood Legacy in 2015 and serves as its CEO. He leads system-level transformation to mainstream environmentally sustainable and socially responsible seafood across Asia by forging alliances among diverse stakeholders across the domestic and international seafood industry, financial institutions, governments, civil society organizations, academia, and media.
He has held advisory roles on numerous government committees in Japan, such as the Fisheries Working Groups under the Regulatory Reform Promotion Council, Cabinet Office of Japan, as well as the Wide-area Fisheries Adjustment Commission, Fisheries Agency of Japan. Through these roles, he has contributed to policy development and the design of legal frameworks for sustainable fisheries and seafood systems.
Wakao currently also serves in several international leadership roles, including as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Friends of Ocean Action and a board member of the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions.

Umios Corporation
Representative Director, President & CEO

Masaru Ikemi

Masaru Ikemi was born in 1957 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. After graduating from the Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University in March 1981, he joined Taiyo Gyogyo Co., Ltd. (currently Umios Corporation) in April of the same year. He served as General Manager of the Overseas Operations Department of Maruha Nichiro Foods, Inc. (currently Umios Corporation) in 2008, and Acting General Manager of the Overseas Business Coordination Department of Maruha Nichiro Holdings, Inc. in 2009. In April 2011, he was appointed Executive Officer of the company. He became Executive Officer of Maruha Nichiro Corporation in April 2014, Director of the Company in June 2014, Managing Executive Officer in April 2017, and Director of the Company in June 2017, a position he continues to hold. In April 2019, he was appointed Senior Managing Executive Officer, and in April 2020, Representative Director, President & CEO of the Company. Since April 2026, he has served in his current position.

National Fisheries Institute Sushi Council
Executive Director

Dick Jones

Dick Jones is a global seafood and aquaculture executive with more than four decades of leadership experience spanning sustainable fisheries, aquaculture development, seafood markets, and international supply chains. His work has focused on connecting industry, environmental organizations, policymakers, and food system leaders to advance responsible seafood production and long term ocean health. He has led organizations and initiatives across the commercial seafood, nonprofit, and trade association sectors, with expertise in market strategy, stakeholder engagement, sustainability, and business growth. Jones is widely recognized for his ability to bridge commercial realities with evolving consumer and regulatory expectations. He currently serves as Executive Director of the National Fisheries Institute Sushi Council, where he works to support the responsible growth, integrity, and long term sustainability of the global sushi sector.

Advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan
President of Yorozu Fisheries Advisory Office afc.masa

Masanori Miyahara

He worked for the Fisheries Agency for 37 years until 2014, followed by 7 years as President of the Fisheries Research and Education Organization, leaving in 2021.
In his late 20s, he studied at Duke University in the U.S. and was involved in many international negotiations, especially chairing international conferences related to bluefin tuna. He is currently the chair of the Northern Committee for Pacific Bluefin Tuna of the Midwest Pacific Tuna Conservation Commission. He also served as the leader of the Fisheries Agency's recovery team from the Great East Japan Earthquake, covering everything from rescue activities to the restoration of the fisheries industry.
Currently, as the president of afc.masa, he travels around Japan and abroad to provide consultation on various issues related to the seafood industry.

Qingdao Marine Conservation Society
Founder and President

Songlin Wang

Songlin Wang is a marine conservationist with over 20 years of experience advancing sustainable fisheries, responsible aquaculture, and marine habitat restoration in China. He has led major programs for The Nature Conservancy, WWF, the Paulson Institute, and Ocean Outcomes. In 2017, he founded the Qingdao Marine Conservation Society (QMCS), a leading Chinese NGO that engages stakeholders across sectors to promote ocean conservation and align China’s Responsible Seafood Movement with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Wang holds degrees from Ocean University of China and Yale University. He is a 2021 Pew Marine Fellow, a member of Friends of Ocean Action, and serves on the board of the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions.

Ocean Outcomes
Korea Fisheries Senior Manager

Doohyun Park

Doohyun Park is a dedicated conservation professional with over 10 years of experience in marine policy development, corporate sustainability, and multi-stakeholder engagement. Currently, he serves as the Korea Fisheries Senior Manager at Ocean Outcomes (O2), where he leads the national program to improve tuna fishing practices, supports local seafood sectors, and builds collaborative networks between government agencies, NGOs, and seafood companies. His work is central to advancing sustainability in the region; he created the Korean Roundtable for Sustainable Tuna, a pre-competitive platform that includes companies representing about 80% of Korea’s tuna longline production. Beyond environmental goals, Doohyun leads strategic expansions into social responsibility for distant-water fleets. Doohyun previously spearheaded sustainable fisheries initiatives at WWF Korea, where he led industry partnerships and pioneering electronic monitoring projects to enhance transparency and combat illegal fishing. Before his time at WWF, he served as an interpreter for the Korean Ministry of Environment, representing the nation in major multilateral agreements and managing international cooperation on biodiversity and protected areas.

Global Seafood Alliance (GSA)
Market Development
Senior Vice President

Steven Hart

Dr. Steven Hart is Senior Vice President of Market Development for the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA). He received his Ph.D. in 2006 from Purdue University with an emphasis on aquaculture nutrition. After completing his degree, he worked for the Indiana Soybean Alliance as their Director of Aquaculture, and in 2011, was named the Executive Director of the Soy Aquaculture Alliance. Dr. Hart joined GSA in 2015 with his primary responsibility to increase market acceptance for responsibly produced seafood in Asia as demonstrated through the assurances provided by the Best Aquaculture Practices and Best Seafood Practices certification programs. His role has since expanded, joining the GSA senior leadership team, and leading these efforts globally, working with producers and end market retailers and food service operators to improve responsible sourcing policies for seafood products. This has led to improvements in sourcing policies with distributors, importers, retailers, restaurants and food service companies globally. Dr. Hart also serves on the Board of Directors and is a past-Chair for the Seafood Nutrition Partnership, a not-for-profit organization with a mission to increase seafood consumption in America.

DearOcean
Representative

Woojin Chung

Woojin (Kate) is representative of DearOcean. It offers consultancy bridging marine conservation, ESG strategy, and ocean education across the Asia Pacific by helping businesses turn sustainability commitments into commercial strategy from responsible seafood sourcing to Asia market transformation. She led campaigns in South Korea at the Environmental Justice Foundation to improve transparency, traceability, and human rights protections in the fisheries sector over the past five years. She previously spent six years working with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries where she contributed to fisheries tariff negotiations and economic cooperation before becoming a programme manager of port development aid. As the programme manager, Woojin was responsible for the Ministry’s port construction aid programmes across Asia, Pacific and Africa. Prior to the governmental jobs, she served the nation as Naval officer working for intelligence coordination between Republic of Korea and the U.S Navy for maritime security.

Fisherman Japan Marketing Co.,Ltd.
CEO

Yuki Tsuda

Originally the second-generation operator of a wholesale seafood business in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, Yuki co-founded the Fisherman Japan General Incorporated Association with local fishermen in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Currently, the sales division has been spun off as Fisherman Japan Marketing Co., Ltd., where he leads efforts to expand sales channels both domestically and internationally and to support fishing communities across Japan.
In parallel, he actively promotes sustainable seafood through public awareness initiatives, impact investing via the FJ Blue Fund, and efforts focused on marine conservation, the elimination of IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing, and the promotion of seafood resource management. He also organizes the "Suisan Summit" alongside passionate fishermen and stakeholders nationwide, aiming to amplify voices from the field and engage in policy advocacy at the national level.

Self-employed Fisherman
Board Member of Tianjin Hangu Fishers’ Association

Cuibo Liu

Cuibo Liu born in 1964, is a board member of the Tianjin Hangu Fishers’ Association and a certified Second-Class Captain. He is actively engaged as a volunteer in marine ecological conservation and the preservation of traditional salt-fishery cultural heritage, and is a recognized inheritor of multiple Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) projects. He also serves as a Fisheries Culture Advisor to the Qingdao Marine Conservation Society and as an Advisor to the Tianjin Binhai New District Writers Association.
With over 40 years of experience in fisheries production, Cuibo Liu has dedicated himself to the study of traditional fisheries culture in Tianjin Binhai, the preservation and transmission of fishing community heritage, public cultural outreach promoting local traditions, as well as marine ecological conservation and environmental education initiatives.

IPNLF (International Pole & Line Foundation)
Fisheries
Fisheries Director

Craig Turley

Craig Turley is Fisheries Director at IPNLF, where he leads initiatives to support the development of sustainable one-by-one fisheries and responsible seafood value chains around the world. With extensive experience working across the fisheries sector, Craig has dedicated his career to advancing approaches that deliver environmental, social, and economic benefits for coastal communities.
A passionate advocate for small-scale fisheries, Craig believes they play a critical role in addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges, including food security, poverty reduction, sustainable livelihoods, and marine conservation. His work focuses on strengthening fisheries management, supporting fisheries improvement initiatives, and promoting market-driven solutions that reward responsible fishing practices.
Craig is particularly interested in the potential of well-managed one-by-one fisheries to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, while ensuring healthy ocean ecosystems and resilient fishing communities for future generations.
Through his work with IPNLF, he continues to champion practical, collaborative approaches to sustainable fisheries development worldwide.

Blueyou
Co-Founder and CEO

René Benguerel

René Benguerel holds a master’s degree in Aquatic Ecology and Fish Biology. Before founding Blueyou in 2004, he worked in the Swiss retail sector where he was appointed procurement manager for sustainable fish and seafood. At Blueyou, René has been leading the development of both impact and commercial blue food strategies across the globe, developing more than 20 fisheries and aquaculture programs with community-based operators in Asia and Latin America and the related supply chains into global retail and food service markets. Blueyou has been a leader and innovator for climate-smart, restorative and socially-inclusive blue food harvesting systems. As co-founder and CEO, René has been managing Blueyou’s extensive network with strategic partners on both private sector business, conservation NGO and impact investors and leads Blueyou’s continuous innovation and leadership in the blue food transformation landscape.

Ocean Outcomes
Taiwan Fishery Senior Manager

Ho-Tu Chiang

Ho-Tu leads the development and implementation of Ocean Outcomes’ sustainable fisheries projects in Taiwan, including the research, as well as technical support for those projects. This includes engaging with the region’s commercial tuna fisheries and NGOs, and developing project work plans and stakeholder convenings. Ho-Tu has over ten years of strategic and on-the-water experience in international affairs and monitoring, control, and surveillance, having worked in the Coast Guard for the Taiwanese government.

Fishing Industry Association of Papua New Guinea
Management
Chief Operating Officer

Marcelo Hidalgo

Marcelo Hidalgo is the CCO of the Fishing Industry Association in Papua New Guinea (FIA PNG). He is also the founder and director of Seafoodmatter, a consultancy company based in the Netherlands.
With over 29 years of experience in the aquaculture and fisheries supply chain, he has advised major retailers, tuna fleets, seafood processors, NGOs and governments on the implementation and improvement of responsible sourcing and seafood sustainability. His experience covers fish farm management, standards development, strategic planning and stakeholder engagement.
Marcelo developed and implemented the Responsible Sourcing Policy (RSP), which made FIA PNG a leader and reference in the Pacific Region, with a positive impact on Land and at Sea. He served as a Managing Director member of the Global Dialogue on Seafood traceability and is currently on the board of directors of several environmental NGOs.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aquaculture and a Post Graduate Diploma in International Trade, Business, and Commerce from the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral in Ecuador.

Wholechain
Head of Growth

Erin Taylor Cooper

Erin Taylor Cooper is Head of Growth at Wholechain, where she helps food, seafood, pet food, and retail supply chains implement practical, standards-based traceability programs that meet growing regulatory, buyer, and market expectations. With more than a decade of experience advancing traceability, sustainability, and responsible sourcing, Erin has worked with global retailers, foodservice companies, suppliers, and industry groups including ALDI, Albertsons Companies, Wegmans, Mars Petcare, Thai Union, Iberostar, Gorton’s, Sea Pact, and others to translate complex supply chain goals into actionable implementation strategies. Before joining Wholechain, Erin held leadership roles at FishWise, including Deputy Chief of Party for the Seafood Alliance for Legality and Traceability, a USAID initiative focused on strengthening legal and responsible seafood trade. Her work has centered on cross-sector collaboration, supplier engagement, and the adoption of interoperable traceability systems across fragmented global value chains. At Wholechain, Erin brings a systems-level perspective and a practical implementation lens to help companies build traceability programs that support compliance, transparency, risk management, and long-term business value.

Professor, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Green Goals Initiative, Tohoku University, and Nikkei BP ESG Fellow

Kaori Fujita

Born in Uozu City, Toyama Prefecture, Kaori Fujita graduated from the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, the University of Tokyo, and joined Nikkei Business Publications (Nikkei BP). She served as a reporter for Nikkei Electronics, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Japan, Editorial Board Member of Nikkei Ecology, Producer of the Nikkei ESG Management Forum, and Senior Deputy Editor of Nikkei ESG, among other roles. She specializes in biodiversity, natural capital, sustainable procurement, business and human rights, ESG investing, and regional revitalization. As a professor at Tohoku University, she serves as Deputy Director of the "Nature-Positive Sustainable Development Hub". She is a member of the Central Environment Council of Japan's Ministry of the Environment and a Board Member of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES). She is also a founding organizing committee member and producer of the Global Nature Positive Summit 2026. Her publications include "A Practical Guide to Biodiversity and Nature-Positive Management in the ESG and TNFD Era."

Marine Stewardship Council & Aquaculture Stewardship Council
Head of Capital Markets Outreach

Ray Dhirani

Ray is a sustainable finance professional and leads the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)'s capital markets practice. Practically, this means he leads the ASC and MSC’s interactions with banks, investors, and policy makers on blue finance. He joined MSC and ASC in May 2024 after working for Tribe Impact Capital in London and after a decade at WWF, the global environmental NGO. At Tribe, Ray headed the impact management function, and, at WWF, he led the UK's sustainable finance team.
Ray was instrumental in the production of Our Planet: Too Big to Fail, a multi award winning film produced by Silverback Films, focused on what the finance sector can do to help safeguard our natural world - both on land and at sea.
Previously, Ray spent eight years in the global markets division of Merrill Lynch in New York specializing in foreign exchange and short interest rates.
Ray holds a BSc. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a MSc. in Environment & Development from the London School of Economics. He has sat on two non-executive boards - Parmenion’s Ethical Oversight Committee as well as WHEB Asset Management’s Advisory Committee. He currently serves as a parent governor for the Pirbright Village Primary School in the UK.

Stockholm Resilience Centre
Professor and Science Director

Henrik Österblom

Henrik Österblom, is professor at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, and leads the Anthropocene Laboratory at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. His work focuses on human cooperation – with a particular focus on the role of corporate actors to stimulate change. His main scientific contribution is the identification of keystone actors, and the establishment of the SeaBOS initiative (www.seabos.org), where transdisciplinary scientists and leading seafood companies are co-producing solutions to the ocean challenges.

Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions (CASS)
Executive Director

Meaghan Hudgins

As Executive Director, Meaghan leads CASS' strategic vision with a people-first approach, bringing together ideas, partnerships, and opportunities that drive meaningful impact. Known for her collaborative leadership style, she excels at connecting diverse stakeholders, fostering innovation, and turning emerging ideas into actionable strategies that strengthen organizations and communities alike. With more than 20 years of experience spanning both the nonprofit and corporate sectors, Meaghan has built a career navigating complex initiatives, cultivating cross-sector partnerships, and helping organizations adapt and grow in evolving environments.

SeaBOS (Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship)
Managing Director

Martin Exel

Martin has been in the seafood sector for over 40 years. Since July 2019 he has been Managing Director of SeaBOS (Seafood Business for Ocean Stewardship) which is a collaborative venture between nine of the world’s largest seafood businesses, and the Stockholm Resilience Centre in Sweden. The aim of that collaboration is to lead a global transformation to sustainable seafood production and a healthy ocean. Martin has worked in various roles in seafood including from industry on the deck of boats and onshore office management, government, and academia. He holds a BSc from Victoria University of Wellington (NZ), a Graduate Diploma in Fisheries Technology from the Australian Maritime College, and is a passionate recreational angler.