Environment. Pressure on Banks and Stock Exchanges

New criteria for bank loans and stock exchanges listings could protect depleted marine resources from the seafood industry. A Science Advances review of publicly available information from 2008-2017 found no bank loan to seafood companies that included sustainability criteria related to depletion of marine resources or poor working conditions.

With half of external finance for businesses, on average, coming from bank loans, introducing sustainability criteria into loan agreements is a critical lever to reduce pressures on marine ecosystems and improve working conditions in the seafood industry.

Likewise, sustainability criteria in the listing requirements of just four stock exchanges would impact the majority (57%) of the largest listed seafood companies in the world.