Why We Joined the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST)
At BlueTrace, we’re excited to announce that we’ve officially joined the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST). The relevance of GDST has grown significantly in recent years, and we’re happy to embrace its mission of bringing transparency, accountability, and efficiency to the seafood supply chain.
When BlueTrace was founded, GDST seemed removed from the challenges we at BlueTrace were addressing. Shellfish already had one of the best traceability systems in the seafood industry, and most of the companies we worked with relied on handwritten logs and spreadsheets. For many of them, “interoperability” means sending a shellfish tag, an email, or a spreadsheet, and that was enough. With nearly 90% of the industry not yet digitized, there wasn’t a pressing need for more.
But things have changed.
Today, with regulations like FSMA 204 reshaping the landscape, most seafood companies are in the process of digitizing their operations. While compliance is certainly a driving factor, many businesses are realizing that digital systems offer much more than regulatory assurance—they can improve efficiency, reduce errors, and ultimately increase profitability. The digitization of the industry has created a need for seamless data transfer between companies and systems. No one wants to dedicate resources to retyping information, especially when automation can do the job better and faster.
Moreover, BlueTrace has expanded into other sectors, beyond shellfish, which often interface with retailers. We’re now tracking products like groundfish, tuna, lobster, and many others. Many of our clients may not know the ins-and-outs of GDST, but they do care about the ability to transfer data digitally between partners. Retailers in particular have sophisticated systems that require their suppliers to provide key data. That data helps them answer crucial questions: Was the product sustainably harvested? Have food safety protocols been followed? Is it certified by MSC, ASC, or BAP?
While the GDST won’t solve every challenge in the seafood supply chain, it offers three key attributes for making seafood supply chains more transparent, more sustainable and more efficient: a common language Standard, digital interoperability tools, and a Global Dialogue to evolve the Standard in line with future industry needs.
BlueTrace is proud to be part of this movement, and we look forward to helping drive the future of sustainable seafood forward.
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