​
About
​
Seafood Advisory is a legally registered consulting firm in Switzerland (CHE-433.552.716), founded by Ms. Michèle Stark in 2015.
​
Building on a foundation of 10 years in seafood auditing and certification, Seafood Advisory Ltd. (SeA) has expanded its expertise to encompass a wide range of services in the seafood sector. SeA collaborates closely with retailers on sourcing requirements, develops traceability programs, and assists aquaculture producers in meeting market demands, as well as de-risking production and supply chains for buyers and investors.
​
While most services are delivered by Michèle Stark, SeA also manages larger projects with a network of collaborators.
​
Michèle Stark holds a BSc (Hons) in Marine Biology and an MSc (Distinction) in Estuarine and Coastal Science and Management. She has extensive experience, including several years at Ramsar focusing on wetland health, in a laboratory developing biochemical analysis, at a Research institute working on methods for risk evaluation, followed by a decade at the certification body IMO (now IMOSwiss AG), where she led the Aquaculture & Fisheries department, managed global audits, and developed standards and assurance mechanisms.
​
Responding to market demands for guidance on simpler compliance systems, Michèle transitioned from certification to consulting in 2015. With 20 years of experience in the seafood sector, she is dedicated to enhancing the sustainability of seafood production and trade and providing solutions to some of the complex challenges.
​
Scroll down and take a look at SeA in numbers.
​
For more information about experiences and how Seafood Advisory can provide support, visit the Services page.
Services
For 20 years, Seafood Advisory has provided expert guidance to retailers, investors/banks, aquaculture operators, fisheries, standards owners, and regulators. Services range from short-term consultations to decade-long partnerships. Click the service buttons below for more information.
​
In addition, Seafood Advisory has collaborated on projects with universities, NGOs, and other stakeholders. Reach out to discuss services tailored to your specific needs.
To celebrate 20 years in the seafood sector and a decade of Seafood Advisory Ltd, I am committed to extending my annual 20 days of voluntary work with an additional 20 days. If you are a small company that has not received adequate support or have an innovative project that promotes sustainability in the industry, contact me for FREE services.
Services for Retail
Are you focused on enhancing the quality, risk management, and sustainability of your seafood products? Seafood Advisory can provide you with tailored technical advice and develop tools and quality systems that meet your specific needs.
EXPERIENCE
Seafood Advisory has over 15 years of experience working with major retail chains in the US, Europe, and Switzerland. Seafood Advisory is skilled in creating simple, effective in-house systems, supported by personalized assistance throughout your implementation phase. Emphasis is placed on quality assurance, risk management, and socially and environmentally sustainable practices.
SEAFOOD SOURCING
-
Need an easy-to-manage, in-house solution for sustainable sourcing?
-
Looking for clear and meaningful sustainability messaging?
-
Feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of ecolabels in the market?
-
Seeking quality seafood and reliable producers?
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
-
Looking for simple yet effective ways to manage risk in your supply chains?
-
Need a low-capacity, risk-based system to audit compliance?
QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA)
-
Short on QA capacity?
-
Have a strong QA team but need seafood expertise to develop internal tools?
-
Looking for support in building an internal QA system?
​
Contact Us
Call directly or send a message through the “Contact Us” section for an initial discussion on how Seafood Advisory can support you.
Services for Investors
Are you providing loans or investing in the seafood sector? Seafood Advisory offers support through initial and ongoing evaluations of both planned and active projects.
EXPERIENCE
Seafood Advisory has conducted numerous evaluations on behalf of a European Development Bank.
​
ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE (ESG) DUE DILIGENCE
-
Need an independent assessment?
-
Looking for clearer insights into future risks in project design and effective risk management strategies?
GAP ANALYSIS
-
Looking for assurance on whether the project can meet reference frameworks?
-
Need support in developing mitigation measures?
-
Require a technical review and insights into the feasibility of planned expansion?
Contact Us
Call directly or send a message through the “Contact Us” section for an initial discussion on how Seafood Advisory can support you.
Services for Aquaculture Operations and Fisheries
Are you planning to get certified? Seafood Advisory can assist in selecting a certification program tailored to your target markets and help you prepare for certification and market requirements.
EXPERIENCE
With 10 years of experience as a lead auditor and certifier, Michèle has audited and certified several hundred seafood producers globally. She serves on the MSC Technical Advisory Board (Marine Stewardship Council) and the Seafood Watch Aquaculture Technical Advisory Committee (Monterey Bay Seafood Watch Programme).
Seafood Advisory has extensive experience with organic standards (EU, Naturland, Bio Suisse), sustainability standards for aquaculture (e.g., GLOBALG.A.P, ASC, BAP, Fair for Life), and sustainability standards for fisheries (e.g., MSC, Naturland Wildfish). As an official fish and seafood consultant with SIPPO (Swiss Import Promotion Programme) and IPD (Import Promotion Desk Germany), Michèle has helped producers meet retail needs and access European markets.
CERTIFICATION and MARKET REQUIREMENTS
-
Feeling overwhelmed by the number and complexity of ecolabels?
-
Want to prepare for certification but lack the internal expertise and capacity?
-
Under pressure to meet market requirements and unsure where to start?
-
Need clarity on the costs and efforts involved in achieving certification?
SMALLHOLDERS
-
Struggling to find market access?
-
Looking for support in establishing simple group systems?
-
Do farmers require training or user-friendly record templates?
Contact Us
Call directly or send a message through the “Contact Us” section for an initial discussion on how Seafood Advisory can support you.
Services for Standard Owners & Regulators
Are you seeking technical expertise in aquaculture, social responsibility, traceability or transparency? Seafood Advisory can provide advice and help you develop your sustainability and assurance program.
​
EXPERIENCE
With 20 years in the seafood sector and 10 years as a lead auditor, certifier and managing accreditations for major aquaculture and fisheries schemes at a Certification Body, Michèle has gained extensive knowledge in developing, implementing, and reviewing regulations and ecolabel programs. In the early days of aquaculture certification and later at Seafood Advisory, she focused on developing tools and training for improved auditing, as well as advising on regulatory frameworks and standard development.
Michèle serves on the MSC Technical Advisory Board (Marine Stewardship Council) and the Seafood Watch Aquaculture Technical Advisory Committee (Monterey Bay Seafood Watch Programme) and the IFOAM Aquaculture Forum.
ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL REQUIREMENTS
-
Are you reviewing your requirements to ensure they align with the latest industry developments and scientific advice?
-
Have you received feedback that your standard is too complicated?
-
Are you questioning how much regulation and control is needed?
-
Are producers seeking guidance on implementing your requirements?
-
Would you like an independent assessment of the auditability of your program?
ASSURANCE
-
Concerned that your verification system needs improvement?
-
Identifying gaps in current performance and interested in exploring new systems?
Contact Us
Call directly or send a message through the “Contact Us” section for an initial discussion on how Seafood Advisory can support you.
20
In 2025, proudly celebrating 20 years of dedicated work in the seafood sector
0
0 employees; services are personal and confidential, tailored to your needs
38
On-the-ground work experience in 38+ countries;
- Asia 8
- South & Central America 6
- Oceania 2
- Africa 3
- Europe 18+
- US 1
~350
Around 350 different aquaculture operations and fishing businesses audited / consulted
In addition, I have had the pleasure of working with several thousand smallholders over the last 20 years
20
Committed to 20 days of voluntary work per year