Tesco has joined the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) in a new initiative to help protect the marine environment.
The retailer, the UK’s largest, has recently undergone an independent audit by SFP, the RSPB and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation of all its seafood suppliers, examining the threats to sharks and rays, seabirds, marine mammals and sea turtles from bycatch.
“Reducing fisheries bycatch is a vital element of our ‘seascape’ or ecosystem-based approach to promote healthy fish stocks and mitigate the impacts of fishing on the wider marine environment,” said Anna Turrell, head of environment at Tesco.
“This report is an important step on that journey, and we’re already working with our suppliers to take action on the issues raised,” she added.
Tesco’s audit, a key part of SFP’s Protecting Ocean Wildlife initiative, consisted of a review and risk assessment of the fisheries disclosed by the retailer in the Ocean Disclosure Project.
The audit identified a number of risks posed by Tesco’s suppliers, including from tuna fisheries use of longlines and fish aggregating devices, Alaskan salmon set/drift gillnet fisheries, Argentinian shrimp fisheries, Indonesian prawn fisheries, Icelandic cod gillnet fisheries and Canadian lobster pot and trap fisheries.
Tesco has said it will prioritise the above fisheries for action, and is aiming to roll out 100% observer coverage and bycatch mitigation measures across its supply chains. The company already bans tuna caught using FADs and is a member of the Global Tuna Alliance.
