New England Aquarium commits $1 million to help develop sustainable fisheries and aquaculture globally

BOSTON, MASS. (June 22, 2026) – The New England Aquarium is committing $1 million over the next two years to help develop sustainable fisheries and aquaculture practices in the aquarium industry, the private sector, and the philanthropic community.

The commitment is part of the 11^th Our Ocean Conference, which was held last week in Kenya. The conference brings together governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, and nonprofits that share a common vision for protecting the ocean and distinguishes itself from others with declarations of actions or “commitments” from participating groups. The Aquarium’s commitment represents a key area of focus for the institution, with the intention of influencing, designing, and implementing environmentally responsible fisheries and sustainable aquaculture while empowering local community leadership.

“The New England Aquarium is honored to contribute to the global ocean conservation space through locally-led blue economy practices and looks forward to collaborating with leaders from Boston and beyond to ensure fisheries and aquaculture are developed in an ethical, responsible, and sustainable way,” said Sarah Reiter, Associate Vice President of Ocean Solutions at the New England Aquarium.

To fulfill its commitment over the next two years, the Aquarium is aiming to:

• Lead an aquarium industry community, locally and globally, that is ethical, responsible, and sustainable by sourcing animals from in-house aquaculture programs.
• Work with industries to promote innovation while balancing responsible practices, from the adoption of on-demand fishing gear to helping source responsibly caught fish.
• Build a philanthropic network that equitably engages with and supports conservation leaders with the goal of bolstering ocean health, fisheries and aquaculture livelihoods, and resilient coastal communities.

The Aquarium’s commitment is informed by its own deep scientific credibility and industry leadership in sustainable breeding efforts, environmentally responsible seafood advising, and holistic support to local conservation leaders.

The Aquarium raises fish in-house for exhibits, which reduces impacts on wild populations, and grows its own live food in-house whenever possible. It is working with aquariums to build capacity for the sustainable breeding of species for exhibit collections and aquaculture development that supports commercial fisheries. The Our Ocean Conference commitment will catalyze these efforts nationally and internationally by providing the expertise, training, and resources needed for other aquariums to develop and expand their larval fishes programs.

Its BalanceBlue Lab (BBL) serves as trusted advisors to long-established companies and works directly with practitioners, improving global seafood certification standards and fisheries and aquaculture practices. To fulfill the commitment, BBL will invest in on-demand gear innovations and bycatch reduction devices to reduce the risk of harmful interactions with endangered, threatened, and protected marine life, including North Atlantic right whales and sea turtles.

The Aquarium’s Marine Conservation Action Fund (MCAF) provides enduring support to local leaders best positioned to develop solutions in collaboration with communities. MCAF plans to build upon the more than 130 fisheries and aquaculture projects in over 35 countries in the Majority World that it has supported to date.

“At the New England Aquarium, we are leaders in advancing a thriving and sustainable blue economy, particularly related to ocean industries such as fisheries and aquaculture, and we use our expertise, platforms, and voice to drive solutions to pressing ocean issues,” said Vikki N. Spruill, President and CEO of the New England Aquarium.

MEDIA CONTACT: Pam Bechtold Snyder—psnyder@neaq.org