Small-scale fisheries are globally important to food security, nutrition, culture, ecosystem health, and livelihoods for millions of people. They also face considerable ecological, and economic pressures, including climate change, privatization, and top-down decision-making. Historically, processes of exclusion (e.g. industrialization, market forces, and settler colonialism) have persisted in the global food system. To mitigate against such processes and protect the livelihoods and human rights of small-scale fishers, the socially responsible seafood movement has emerged. This paper examines the local relationships in a seafood value chain in Indonesia, which extends from village fishers to international export markets. We present a case study from Sumbawa Indonesia, where a foreign direct seafood exporter is focused on sourcing socially responsible seafood from waters worked by small-scale fishers. Applying a systems lens, we analyse how a system driven by market forces and underpinned by western values can integrate with a system driven by traditional customs, social ties, and trust. The findings demonstrate that social connections and feedbacks within the value chain play a key role. Systems thinking reveals pathways to help synergize the two systems. This research shows that to deliver on the promise of socially responsible seafood, better understanding is needed of the interconnected social, cultural, and economic ties of small-scale fishers.