A recent workshop hosted by Seafish, the United Kingdom’s industry authority on seafood, introduced the concept of a social license to operate in the seafood industry; what it means, why individuals and organizations should embrace it, and how it can help to boost sales.
A social license to operate (SLO) grew out of, and has become an extension of, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) movement, which is actively embraced by many, if not all, major seafood companies, retailers and wholesalers.
Embracing issues including legitimacy, accountability, responsible practice, transparency, compliance, ethical behaviour, respect for human rights and reputation, SLO first became an important tool in the mining, oil and gas extraction business, where operators needed to gain support in order to operate in and around local communities and through tracts of disputed land…