Thai Union, alongside partner WWF, has released its first report detailing the seafood company’s supply chains and provenance.
According to a 2018 Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) survey, 72% of seafood consumers say they choose brands based on sustainability over price. The report, 'Sourcing Transparency: Wild Caught Fish and Shellfish' demonstrates Thai Union’s commitment to transparency and sustainability.
Dr Darian McBain, global director of sustainability for Thai Union, said: “We cannot have sustainability without transparency and traceability. This report allows us to not only identify the areas where we need the most focus and take action ourselves, but, by providing this data openly, we can demonstrate our commitment to transparency and our sustainability journey.
“Data such as this report will help us deliver against our global tuna commitment and demonstrate the progress towards our WWF partnership commitments.”
Throughout its four-year partnership with Thai Union, WWF has assessed and advised on the environmental sustainability of its seafood. To jointly create this report, Thai Union shares its supply chain data including key elements such as vessels, species, catch methods, and catch areas.
WWF provides a sustainability assessment for each wild caught species present in the supply chain. The analysis is then used to assign priority levels to fisheries. Based on these priority levels, a plan to implement fishery improvement projects is developed.
David Edwards, director of food strategy of WWF, said: “WWF believes that for seafood companies to demonstrate their sourcing is truly sustainable they must work towards full transparency of supply chains and fishing practices. This report is an important step on this journey.”
