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About

Our Vision

Rewild the oceans by supporting sustainable and regenerative fishing practices, and connecting people to the source of their seafood.

The Problem

  1. Most people don’t know the extent of problems in our oceans, nor the solutions. Fish and sea life are the building blocks of strong and resilient ocean ecosystems.
  2. There is widespread confusion and mistrust about what seafood is sustainable and where to get it AND Businesses aren’t confident they’ll be rewarded for sourcing seafood responsibly Happy Fish wants to change this.

The Solution

The Happy Fish Project reimagines the experience of seafood by making it ridiculously simple and fun for seafood sellers and consumers to know WHAT seafood is sustainable? WHERE to get it? TRACK seafood all the way back to the oceans AND REWARD businesses that make the extra effort.

Happy Fish provides a unique and practical solution with unprecedented transparency, accountability and reward for all actors in the supply chain.

Happy Fish does not advocate eating fish, we advocate that if you do, eat it as sustainably as possible and enjoy it to the fullest!

Who Are We?

The Happy Fish Project was started by volunteer Bondi Beach locals alarmed to discover the extent of fish and ocean ecosystem decline. It evolved into an independent social enterprise founded on collaboration of leaders from diverse industries with shared values, care for the environment, and a desire for greater transparency and accountability.

This is NOT Business as Usual

The Happy Fish Project is ONLY possible because of the extraordinary investment of time and expertise from a community of collaborators NOT through large venture capital. Partners and collaborators include leading fisheries scientists, fishers, seafood industry, chefs, eNGOS, tracking technologists, artists etc.

These diverse and fascinating characters are attracted by the common language of values and a belief that Happy Fish is a gamechanger. There is a level of engagement money cannot buy. Collaborators have frequently donated their time and expertise and brought Happy Fish to life. The extraordinary goodwill and privileged position Happy Fish occupies separates this from business as usual.

What makes Happy Fish unique?

Regenerative seafood

Happy Fish gives…
unprecedented access for small scale family fishers to high quality sustainability assessments. Assessments are designed for Australia’s unique diverse marine ecosystems and smaller scale fishers. Seafood is assessed at the local fishery and individual fisher-farmer level for greater accuracy. Our aim is to leave each fishery in a better place.

Transparency

Happy Fish creates…
unprecedented transparency with an unbroken supply chain, where each and every piece of seafood is tagged. This allows consumers to verify sustainability, provenance and quality, and call out fish fraud!

Community + Connection

Happy Fish celebrates…
the fish’s journey to your plate, the faces behind the fish with a human profile for each link in the supply chain. This is delivered via an immersive user experience and narrative-based fish tales. We connect consumers to the source of their seafood, bringing together a community of like-minded individuals, and empowering consumers as custodians of the supply chain.

Some defining characteristics

  • No other initiative in this space has as comprehensive and targeted Consumer-facing proposition:
  • In collaboration with UTS and the Australian Conservation Foundation, a team of eminent, independent and concerned marine and fisheries scientists, created a new benchmark for sustainability assessments, which is regarded by many as the gold standard
  • More than sustainability this is about regenerative fishing practices. The assessment process is designed to leave each fishery in a better place than it was found
  • For produce to be called Happy Fish it must meet stringent sustainability standards
  • The Scientists and Happy Fish are committed to facilitating unprecedented access for small scale artisanal fishers to high quality sustainability assessments, keeping it both targeted and affordable
  • The tracking’s magic lies in a short unbroken supply chain that addresses industry-specific vulnerabilities
  • Each and every piece of seafood is tagged and tracked through the supply chain
  • Scanning the tags allows Consumers to verify provenance, sustainability and freshness and call out Fish Fraud
  • Seafood sellers can clearly differentiate their offerings from other seafood sold, building reputation and value for seafood sellers undertaking best practice
  • The Happy Fish Live Directory is updated realtime to show consumers where to find Happy Fish in participating restaurants and fish shops
  • Empowering and connecting fishers right through to the end Consumer to think and act sustainably when sourcing seafood
  • Creating a community of like-minded individuals and a groundswell beyond the marketplace