Canned tuna is a UK food cupboard staple, bought by nearly 90% of households. As the second biggest consumer in the world, the UK can have a massive impact on improving the sustainability of the fishing that fills the cans.
Unfortunately the provenance of tuna can be difficult to establish. Most labels don't tell you how or even where the fish were caught. Now however, the world’s first MSC-certified canned American Albacore Tuna can be found on shelves at Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, Tesco and Waitrose, distributed by companies such as MCM Select Foods.
The MSC-certified product sold in these outlets is supplied by a unique group called the American Albacore Fishing Association (AAFA).
In 2003, six fishing families on the west coast of the US decided to make a stand. They formed a non-profit organisation, whose only aim was, and still is, to manage and protect tuna stocks for the future. These families represented the few fishermen who, during the great expansion of the San Diego tuna fleet, resisted the urge to build bigger boats and surrender their poles. Retaining the skills passed on from their fathers, these men stuck to the “one-pole, one-fish” method and resolved to educate the public on their sustainable fishing practices. The first association of this kind not to be overshadowed by US processors or buyers, it was truly a revolution.
With a lot of persistence and the support of the WWF, AAFA succeeded in becoming the first, and to date the only, tuna fishery on the planet to achieve the highly regarded MSC eco-label. Allowing complete traceability of each and every fish, this certification represents a move that could help save one of the world’s most valuable fish - and the fishing industry that relies on it - from extinction.
Today AAFA continues to go from strength to strength, with the association doubling in size year on year.
The AAFA fishermen fish with small tuna boats from June until October. Onboard, every tuna is caught individually by hand.
Operating out of 75 vessels, AAFA’s fishermen are responsible for around 50% of the albacore tuna caught using the pole and line method in the North Pacific. What’s more, these waters are home to young fish which have lower levels of mercury and higher levels of omega-3 than other varieties.
In a world where the demand for fish is on the increase, especially in developing countries, illegal, unreported and unregulated pirate fishing is becoming an epidemic. If we do not pull together now and support organisations such as AAFA and products such as American Albacore Tuna, it may be too late for the world’s oceans, says AAFA.
