Global food and drink group, Princes, has committed to sourcing 100% of its UK sold tuna from Marine Stewardship Council-certified fisheries by the end of 2025.
Achieving this milestone will increase fivefold the amount of sustainably sourced tuna available in the UK, based on current consumption.
The MSC has set a target of engaging more than a third of the world’s marine catch in its programme by 2030. Princes will be casting its net wider to include newly MSC-certified fleets, having supported fishery improvement projects from more than five years.
“As one of the UK’s largest tuna brands, we are committed to supporting the long-term sustainability of tuna stocks, and recognise the important role we have to play in advocating for continued improvements in fishing practices and positive change,” said Neil Bohannon, group director for seafood at Princes.
“That is why we committed to only purchasing tuna from fisheries that are MSC-certified, engaged in a FIP working towards MSC certification, or from verified and well managed FAD Free or Pole and Line sources – achieving this longstanding ambition in 2021 – and now we’re going a step further.”
While more global fisheries are achieving MSC certification, the volume of MSC-certified tuna products sold in the UK decreased by 12% in 2021 compared with 2020, according to the MSC Tuna Shopper Report.
“Important progress has been made by global fisheries to achieve MSC standards in recent years, however brands and retailers also have a crucial role to play in advancing seafood sustainability by making more certified sustainable products available to shoppers,” said Neil Bohannon.
Princes is a founding partner of both the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation and the Sustainable Indian Ocean Tuna Initiative. Last year, the company reached its goal of halving its use of Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna from 2017 levels, a year ahead of its 2022 deadline.
