Top 4 Expert Insights to Future-Proof Traceability for Seafood Supply Chains from Indonesia’s Marine Affairs Workshop
- Gusi Ayu Putri Chandrika Sari
- Jul 3
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 4
Editor’s Note:
This article reflects our firsthand experience at the STELINA Workshop Kick-Off Event, held by Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), where Sarah Harding, Aquatic Resources and Standards Specialist at KOLTIVA, joined as one of the speakers. Her participation reflects our continued commitment to advancing interoperable traceability and sustainable practices across global seafood supply chains.
Executive Summary
Interoperability is Critical for Scalable and Sustainable Traceability. Fragmented systems and duplicative data demands continue to hinder progress in seafood traceability. The workshop hosted by Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries—highlighted the urgency of adopting standardized, interoperable traceability systems such as GDST. These systems streamline compliance, reduce reporting burdens, and enable seamless data exchange from catch to consumer.
Digital Inclusion Must Start at the First Mile. Equipping smallholders and fishers with accessible, user-friendly digital tools like KoltiTrace is essential for building transparent, resilient supply chains. Stakeholders emphasized the need for inclusive digital transformation that empowers producers at the grassroots level while protecting data privacy and promoting long-term participation.
Koltiva Achieves a Major Milestone in Aquaculture. Koltiva announced its successful completion of the GDST First Mile Capability Test for aquaculture—the first traceability provider in Indonesia to do so. This milestone reinforces Koltiva’s leadership in enabling end-to-end, standards-aligned traceability that supports compliance, empowers producers, and prepares supply chains for future regulatory demands.
Why Interoperability is the Missing Link in Sustainable Aquaculture Traceability
Traceability does not guarantee sustainability on its own, yet credible sustainability cannot be claimed without it. Industry-wide implementation remains challenged by poor data capture, supply chain gaps, and system incompatibilities that prevent seamless data exchange (Planet Tracker, 2021). As global seafood supply chains and wild-capture industries strive to meet regulatory requirements and environmental commitments, the demand for interoperable traceability systems has never been more urgent. To tackle this, the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) convened the STELINA (Sistem Ketertelusuran dan Logistik Ikan Nasional) Workshop Kick-Off ‘Advancing Traceability in Tuna and Shrimp Industries' brought together regulators, industry leaders, and technology innovators to advance interoperable traceability as the foundation for scalable, reliable systems that support both sustainability and global compliance.
Koltiva Joins Forces to Advance Traceability in Seafood Supply Chain
Our Aquatic Resources and Standards Specialist, Sarah Harding, participated alongside representatives from the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), seafood processors, exporters, NGOs, global standards bodies, and private-sector technology providers. The workshop spotlighted opportunities for public–private collaboration to reduce reporting duplication, support inclusive digital transformation, and emphasized the urgency of building traceability systems across seafood supply chains.
The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries announced the latest version of STELINA (the National Traceability and Logistics System). With plans to become fully GDST-capable by 2026, this ambitious roadmap reinforces Indonesia’s commitment to harmonized, interoperable seafood traceability—while respecting data privacy and farmer consent.
“Interoperability and standardization of traceability is essential to building trusted and scalable traceability. Koltiva’s unique strength is being able to capture that data, especially in upstream supply chains, from small-scale producers and SMEs and deploying solutions that are practical, standards-aligned and ready for integration with downstream actors,” said Sarah Harding.
Table of Index:
Key Outcomes: What the Seafood Industry Must Prioritize
Reducing Redundancy in Traceability Reporting
Public and private actors alike stressed the need to harmonize data requirements across government and buyer systems. Reducing redundancy in traceability reporting was a key concern raised at the STELINA Workshop, as seafood businesses often face overlapping data demands from multiple regulators and buyers. This duplication not only creates reporting fatigue but also drives up compliance costs. Stakeholders emphasized the urgent need to harmonize traceability data requirements across public and private systems by adopting global standards like GDST. A unified approach would streamline compliance, improve data accuracy, and enable efficient, trusted traceability from catch to consumer—without overburdening producers or compromising data privacy.
Inclusive Digital Transformation
Ensuring that smallholders and fishers are not left behind continues to be a shared priority among stakeholders. During discussions with industry participants, a key concern that emerged was the effective deployment of digital solutions in upstream supply chains, particularly in ensuring accessibility, usability, and adoption among producers at the grassroots level. For traceability to succeed, digital tools must be designed with accessibility, usability, and local context in mind, enabling producers at the first mile to input accurate data and participate meaningfully in supply chain transparency. Empowering these communities with practical, user-friendly solutions not only supports compliance but also builds long-term resilience, economic inclusion, and sustainability in the aquaculture and fisheries sectors.
Cross-Commodity Interoperability
Interoperable traceability is rapidly gaining traction beyond the seafood sector, as industries such as soy, leather, beef, dairy, cotton, and palm oil explore how to adopt similar frameworks. GS1 Indonesia’s participation at this event reinforced that interoperability is not just a seafood issue but a cross-commodity priority. It not only reduces complexity and duplication but also opens the door to integrated, multi-commodity supply chain systems that are future-ready and responsive to increasingly harmonized regulatory and market demands.
Global Standards Alignment
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced that, by 2030, the Chain of Custody standard must adopt standardized digital traceability formats—specifically with GS1’s EPCIS 2.0 and GDST protocols.
Koltiva’s Achieves Major Milestone: GDST First Mile Capability for Aquaculture
We proudly took the opportunity to announce an exciting milestone that we have passed the GDST First Mile Capability Test for aquaculture traceability. This achievement positions Koltiva as The First Indonesian Traceability Provider recognized as GDST-capable, alongside AP2HI.
From our first seaweed client in 2018 to launching closed-loop finance for shrimp producers in 2022, we’ve continually expanded our aquaculture solutions. In 2025, we adapted our KoltiTrace MIS platform for wild-capture fisheries, with successful pilots among tuna processors.
This recognition reinforces our commitment to interoperable, end-to-end traceability, and our dedication to supporting smallholders and fishers from the very first mile. Looking ahead, we’re preparing for GDST capability testing for wild-capture fisheries later this year, further reinforcing our role as a trusted interoperability partner in advancing global seafood transparency.
Our traceability journey has been shaped by real-world impact and continuous innovation:
2018: Onboarded our first seaweed aquaculture client.
2022: Adapted our platform for shrimp supply chains and launched a closed-loop finance solution in Indonesia.
2023: Introduced mangrove reforestation monitoring and a multi-commodity traceability system for silvofishery production.
2024: Partnered with GDST as an Endorser of the GDST standards.
2025: Expanded into wild-capture fisheries by adapting KoltiTrace MIS for tuna processors. and piloting the new GDST Traceability Driver with IFT—successfully passing GDST capability testing for first-mile aquaculture.
Why GDST-Aligned Traceability Matters
As global regulatory scrutiny increases, GDST-compliant systems are the gold standard for seafood traceability. We continue to build solutions that are not only innovative but aligned with global compliance and evolving market needs. Our approach goes beyond digital tools—we are enabling global connectivity and compliance readiness across supply chains. By adopting internationally recognized standards like GDST, our traceability systems ensure interoperability, allowing seamless data exchange from the first mile to international markets.
Here are the strategic benefits of using GDST-aligned traceability systems:
Meet Regulatory Requirements
Aligns with U.S. SIMP (Seafood Import Monitoring Program), FSMA 204 (Food Safety Modernization Act, Section 204), Japan’s Anti-IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) Import Law, EU IUU Regulation.
Support Buyer Demands
Retailers and importers are increasingly requiring GDST-compliant traceability to validate ethical and sustainable sourcing.
Plug-and-Play Capability
Platforms already integrated with the GDST traceability driver, no need for data format restructure or mapping of Key Data Elements (KDEs).
Future-Proof Compliance
Future-proof clients for upcoming data-sharing mandates and buyer interoperability requirements in the seafood industry.
Data Integrity & Trust
GDST enforces consistent data models, ensuring traceability data is consistent and verifiable-strengthening supplier credibility.
“We’re proud to bridge the digital gap at the first mile, empowering producers, streamlining data exchange, and enabling compliance without system overhauls—driving transparency and compliance,” Sarah added.
The Path Forward: Collaborating for Seafood Sustainability
With the GDST First Mile test behind us and wild-capture traceability on the horizon, we’re ready to lead the next phase of interoperable seafood traceability. If you’re working in seafood traceability and committed to preventing illegal fishing and promoting sustainability, let’s start a conversation. Reach out to learn how Koltiva can help you navigate this evolving landscape.
Let’s collaborate to build an interoperable, sustainable future for seafood.
📩 Contact us to learn how Koltiva can help your organization meet traceability and sustainability goals. Book a meeting with our Aquaculture Expert.
🌐 Explore more at www.koltiva.com
Resource:
Mosnier, F., Willis, J., & McLuckie, M. (2020). Traceable returns: Unlocking the value of seafood traceability [PDF]. Planet Tracker. https://planet-tracker.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/5.-Traceable-Returns.pdf
Author: Gusi Ayu Putri Chandrika Sari, Social Media Officer
Subject Matter Expert: Sarah Harding, Aquatic Resource and Standards Specialist
About the Expert:
Sarah Harding has over 12 years of hands-on involvement across the seafood industry. She holds a Bachelor of Science with a major in Aquaculture, and a Master’s degree in Fisheries Resource Management. Sarah’s diverse career spans aquaculture production, water quality monitoring, and community-based work in remote regions, particularly alongside Indigenous groups. She has also contributed to wild fishery enhancement efforts, including restocking programs for striped bass and Atlantic salmon. Currently, Sarah serves as the Aquatic Resources Specialist at Koltiva, providing the technical guidance and strategic input across seascape initiatives, driving sustainable and inclusive practices within aquatic supply chains.
Fantastic read on future-proofing seafood traceability! It's great to see the focus on GDST standards and getting small-scale fishers on board. Koltiva's GDST-capable aquaculture traceability is a huge step, highlighting how crucial these global standards are for the industry.
👏 Congratulations to the Koltiva team on this milestone! A truly insightful article—Sarah’s expertise on first-mile traceability and interoperability is crucial for advancing sustainable seafood. 🌊🐟