Novotel becomes first hospitality brand to join Seafood Task Force

The collaboration with STF will initially focus on enhancing supply chain transparency and promoting the sustainable sourcing of tuna and farmed shrimp across three key Southeast Asian markets – Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia – engaging numerous Novotel hotels in the region. 

These commodities were identified as priorities by mapping Novotel’s key sourcing volumes against regions with elevated sustainability and social risks.

Novotel’s membership extends its Sustainable Seafood Principles, which were introduced earlier this year in collaboration with WWF France. These principles include banning more than 350 endangered seafood species from menus by 2027, serving only MSC-certified wild-caught species or responsibly sourced local fish, and using ASC- or organic-certified farmed seafood for salmon and shrimp.

Nadege Keryhuel, Global Vice-President Novotel brand, said joining STF represented a critical next step in its journey towards complete seafood traceability and sustainability. 

“We are proud to lead the industry in taking concrete action to protect our oceans by becoming the first hospitality brand to become a member. Through our partnership with the STF, our teams across Southeast Asia will have access to world-class expertise and practical tools to drive meaningful change in how we source tuna and farmed shrimp. This commitment is embedded in our broader ocean roadmap, which aims to make Novotel best-in-class in reducing environmental impact.”

The STF membership complements Novotel’s existing seafood sustainability initiatives, including: a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) launched in Q1 2025 in Kerala, India, focused on Indian squid; a partnership with Seafood Souq across 19 hotels in the Middle East to enhance traceability through SFS Trace; and a seafood taskforce procurement project in Europe, working with five suppliers to improve supply chain transparency.

Novotel’s broader ocean commitment encompasses four key pillars: reducing plastic and carbon footprint impact; delivering delicious, healthier and more sustainable food choices; enhancing education and ocean awareness; and contributing to research and innovation through support of five WWF France marine conservation projects worldwide.

Since Novotel launched its partnership with the WWF in 2024, Novotel has rolled out Ocean Awareness Training for all 600 hotel teams globally, and supported WWF-led initiatives such as Posidonia seagrass protection, ghost gear (abandoned fishing nets) removal, marine turtle tracking, and the Blue Panda research vessel.

STF Executive Director Martin Thurley welcomed Novotel as the first hospitality brand to join the task force. “The hospitality sector plays a vital role in driving demand for sustainable seafood and Novotel’s commitment to transparency and continuous improvement across their Southeast Asian operations demonstrates true leadership. We look forward to working closely with their teams to implement practices that not only benefit their operations but also contribute to healthier ocean ecosystems and more resilient fishing communities across the region,” he said.

STF was established in 2014 to restore global confidence to trade, following concerns about social and environmental abuse in global tuna and shrimp supply chains. It is made up of over 50 major retailers, brands, foodservice companies and their supply chain partners.