Conservation International and xpertSea Launch “Climate Smart Shrimp” Regenerative Farming Pilot in Ecuador

LONDON (May 23, 2023) – Conservation International and xpertSea, a leading aquaculture technology company, today announced a Climate Smart Shrimp pilot in Ecuador, an innovative solution to champion regenerative farming practices. The program facilitates lower-carbon farming practices while directly addressing the issue of mangrove deforestation.

This turn-key program is a streamlined way for seafood buyers to support farmers, reduce carbon, and restore mangroves, driving the industry towards a sustainable and resilient future

The loss of over 50,000 hectares of mangroves in Ecuador since 1969, with 45% attributed to aquaculture, has raised concerns about the urgent need for habitat restoration. Despite new laws protecting mangroves, progress toward reforestation has been slow and farmers face limited access to capital for improvements, which makes it challenging to invest in regenerative systems.

Climate Smart Shrimp is Conservation International and xpertSea Responsible Shrimp's response to these challenges. By joining this program, seafood buyers can direct their purchasing power to:

• Support farmers: Unlock farmers’ access to financing for critical on-farm investments and the transition to climate smart production
• Reduce carbon: Support the implementation of on-farm carbon improvements, lowering the industry’s overall footprint
• Restore mangroves: Catalyze direct investment in mangrove restoration efforts in Ecuador to enhance biodiversity, build climate resilience and protect critical habitats

“Climate Smart Shrimp is an innovative approach that will catalyze measurable, sustainable change,” said Dane Klinger, Director of Aquaculture at Conservation International. “Our partnership with xpertSea enables seafood buyers to play an active role in mangrove restoration, carbon emission reduction and the promotion of responsible farming practices. This collaborative effort presents an exciting way to support both the environment and farmers.”

xpertSea delivers rich verified data from the producer with Climate Smart Shrimp, including GDST (Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability) traceability and Scope 3 carbon emissions, enabling a powerful product narrative. Mangrove restoration is managed by Conservation International, ensuring the program fosters climate resilience and ecosystem benefits.

“This is an exciting moment for sustainable seafood,” said Katie Sokalsky, CEO of xpertSea. “This partnership with Conservation International offers seafood buyers a turn-key way to enable better farming practices, restore mangroves, and help feed the world in a responsible way. Now buyers can easily take action to create a more sustainable and resilient industry, and get verified data on their improvements to feel confident about making consumer-facing commitments.”

Pilot Opportunity: Seafood buyers are invited to join the Climate Smart Shrimp Ecuador pilot, a robust solution that requires minimal effort from buyers to execute. Climate Smart Shrimp is built off financial engineering and reforestation expertise from xpertSea and Conservation International, offering buyers an exceptional opportunity to champion positive change.

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About Conservation International: Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. Go to Conservation.org for more, and follow our work on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

About xpertSea: xpertSea's mission is to use data and technology to bring trust, transparency and productivity to aquaculture. We are working towards a better, fairer and more sustainable aquaculture industry by leveraging AI to help farmers increase their efficiency and boost their output through valuable data-driven production insights. Visit our website at www.xpertSea.com.

To learn more about how the program can align with your sustainability goals, please contact responsibleshrimp@xpertsea.com.