All female sustainability team set up to champion diversity & inclusion at Taprobane Seafoods

Seated: Sathya Rathnayake 
Standing:  Sunela Samaranayake, Nethmi Thenuwara, Udari Morawake, Pamoda Pallage

Taprobane Seafoods, Sri Lanka’s largest and most integrated seafood company became the first Sri Lankan seafood company to establish a Sustainability Team to enhance its performance in areas such as Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). To further cement its long-term commitment to all sustainability related initiatives, the company recently joined the UN Global Compact and is the only seafood company in the Sri Lanka network to be part of it.

The team is led by Sathya Rathnayake – Director of Taprobane Seafoods who has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Advertising from the University of East London. Sathya also heads Taprobane Fresh, the local sales business of Taprobane Seafoods, and is an active management team member. The other team members include: Sunela Samaranayake – Head of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), who boasts of a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce with a specialization in Accounting and Marketing and has an MBA from Warwick Business School, UK, she also has a working background in Corporate Finance and Communication. Udari Morawake comes with a special Diploma in Quality Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Eco Business Management, certification in Chemical Management and Green House labelling. In her previous roles she has worked on award winning sustainability initiatives. Pamoda Pallage has a background in Marine Environment Protection and worked for the Sri Lanka Climate Fund. She has a BSc Honors in Applied Sciences (Environment Management and Forestry), she is also currently reading for an MSc in Climate Change and Environment Management from the University of Colombo. Nethmi Thenuwara is a Business Analyst at Taprobane Seafoods with a background in banking and strategy. She is an associate member of CIMA. This diverse team is very passionate about leading the sustainability charge at Taprobane Seafoods and is committed to meeting the sustainable development goals set out by the United Nations. 

Sathya Rathnayake – Director Taprobane Seafoods commented on the set up of the team saying “While sustainability has always been a part of our corporate journey at Taprobane Seafoods, the company is excited to be pioneering the sustainability journey in the local seafood industry, as we gear up to be carbon neutral by 2030. I would like to take this opportunity to also acknowledge the work done by the National Aquaculture Development Authority (NAQDA) in raising consciousness about sustainability in the industry, as they lead the charge within the industry. Although Sri Lanka is a small player in the global seafood industry, as a country we are proud of the initiatives taken by all players within the industry when it comes to sustainability. However, we believe it’s time to accelerate our efforts at incorporating sustainability as part of our DNA.”

Commenting on the initiative, Taprobane Seafood’s Head of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) - Sunela Samaranayake said, “We are proud to launch the Sustainability Team and to be the first to do so in the Sri Lankan seafood industry. Being part of such a diverse all-female leadership team and with a 78% female workforce ratio, we are passionate about setting benchmarks in D&I to pave the way for others in the industry to follow suit.”

Taprobane Seafoods possesses an array of certifications and accreditations that demonstrate its long-standing commitment to sustainability on all fronts. The Company was awarded the SMETA ETI accreditation for its sustainable labour policies and was recently awarded the prestigious 3 star status by Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), the world’s leading certification authority in Aquaculture Practices.

Taprobane is also the only corporate partner of the Sri Lanka Blue Swimming Crab Fishery Improvement project in the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay, and emphasizes the need to engage in eco-friendly activities to demand higher value along the supply chain in markets that value sustainable products, such as USA, to bring valuable foreign exchange to the country.

Established in 2010, Taprobane Seafood has 15 processing facilities, employing over 2000 direct employees throughout the North-Western and Northern Provinces. Its uniqueness stems from the fact that all the employees who work in the processing plants in the North are women, from the security guard to the supervisors and managers including war widows who are the breadwinners of their families. Taprobane Seafoods began its success story with the committed and visionary leadership of Timothy O’Reilly, Dilan Fernando and Sathya Rathnayake. Cheng Niruttinanon – Executive Chairman of Thai Union, also sits on the board of directors of Taprobane Seafoods. Thai Union is the largest seafood company, globally, and its subsidiary, Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods, the largest importer of crab and shrimp into the US market. Taprobane has also been certified by FSSC 22000 food safety standard and HACCP risk management system.

Taprobane Seafoods is led by a vision to be the global leader in sustainable and socially responsible aquaculture based on high-quality standards, social responsibility, sustainability, integrity, and success. The company produces premium quality seafood products for iconic brands such as Whole Foods USA, which requires complying with stringent quality and sourcing standards. Taprobane is also the leader and pioneer of pasteurized Blue Swimming Crab and SPF Vannamei Shrimp and is the driving force behind Sri Lanka’s first-ever eco-recommended fishery and Asia’s first-ever Blue Swimming Crab fishery in Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar.