What is OSA International?

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OSA stands for On-board Social Accountability 

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On-Board Social Accountability (OSA) International Ltd is a new not-for-profit enterprise (established April 2020) to address the abuse of workers on board fishing vessels and in aquaculture operations by enabling seafood companies to develop and implement effective social accountability management systems.

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OSA is a benchmark tool and management system that has been developed and tested since 2014 in different contexts internationally and on different vessel types including tuna purse seiners, carriers and multi-gear vessels (trawlers and long-liners). These provide different levels of worker and working conditions on board.

 

We are an enterprise formed in 2020 by:

• Independent Directors who all have substantial (150 years combined) sustainable seafood and fishery operations expertise, across over 60 countries.

    

• Our personnel have specialist technical expertise in:

  • seafood operation auditing,

  • social condition assessment,

  • fishery assessment,

  • market, operations, stakeholder engagement,

  • policy and procedure development,

  • chain of custody auditing,

  • sustainability, marine conservation and environmental management, and;

  • financial and economic analysis including well-being based models for social and environmental return on investment (i.e. full Environment, Social Governance).

 

The OSA Model

The OSA Model arises out of extensive experience in fishing and aquaculture operations, seafood processing and sustainability assessment. Building on this practical background, we have integrated the best, and directly specific, components from leading guidelines, conventions and policies for improving social conditions internationally.

 

OSA has a series of assessment approaches starting with desktop multi-level risk assessment, desktop in-depth policy and procedure assessment and field based (onsite on-board vessels, in aquaculture farms and in company operations) methodologies to gather further information and triangulate evidence. This is all supported by an empathetic, culturally aware and relevant approach to build client capability to develop and improve their social accountability management system themselves.

 

The assessment framework has been used in leading companies and is receiving excellent feedback and commentary on the standard from a variety of seafood sector leaders who want to see it deployed, developed and expanded.