Tuna brands play a key role in the overfishing crisis by selling us tuna caught destructively. Popular fishing methods are wiping out vital tuna species and destroying marine life.
With this 3rd edition of the canned tuna ranking, there have been significant improvements. Safcol has led the way and now offers Australian customers canned tuna caught using a sustainable fishing method. Most brands have also ruled out using threatened Yellowfin Tuna.
Yet there’s a long way to go. In the UK, every major canned tuna player has stopped using destructive fishing methods, but Australia lags behind.
It’s time Australian brands change their tuna.Take action now!
Click on a brand to see how they rate.
1. Fish 4 Ever - 89/100
Fish 4 Ever remains a world leader in fair and environmentally sound sourcing of tuna. It pioneered the sustainable pole and line product in Australia and continues to promote fisheries that benefit local communities. It remains the benchmark for the Australian market.
- Fish 4 Ever still sells a small amount of pole and line caught Yellowfin tuna, a species that is classified as near threatened. It should drop Yellowfin from its range entirely.
- Fish 4 Ever uses a selective fishing method called ‘pole and line’ that avoids the wasteful catch of turtles, sharks and juvenile tuna. Fish 4 Ever use pole and line fishing to source its entire range.
- Fish 4 Ever has established sustainable tuna fisheries and actively promoted sustainable tuna in political, industry and market forums. It supports local coastal fisheries and pays a premium price to local fishers. It has a publicly available sustainable and equitable sourcing policy and ensures it is implemented.
- Fish 4 Ever provides all the information a consumer needs to choose a sustainable product. Information about the local coastal fishery, catch method, and tuna species is all clearly labelled. Fish 4 Ever is able to trace its product to ensure that all claims are true.
2. Safcol - 71/100
Safcol is the star performer for 2011 and deserves congratulations. It is the first Australian company to commit to 100% pole and line caught Skipjack tuna. Safcol is committed to changing the Australian industry by promoting sustainable methods. This is a very welcome development for Aussie consumers and the future of tuna.
- Safcol could improve its equitable sourcing policy and provide clearer labelling of catch area.
- Safcol has dropped purse seine nets completely. It has switched to a selective fishing method called ‘pole and line’ that avoids the wasteful catch of turtles, sharks and juvenile tuna. Safcol’s pole and line range will appear on shelves from October 2011.
- Safcol publicly promotes sustainable fishing methods and the conservation of overfished tuna species, like Yellowfin.
- Safcol supports the principal of marine reserves as an essential component of healthy oceans.
- Safcol labels its product with species name and catch method and has full traceability of its product.
3. Coles - 64/100
Coles has shown leadership by making significant improvements to the sustainability of its house brand tuna. Coles has added a sustainable range of tuna to its brands and provides excellent labelling. Yet it needs to drop the use of FADs to become real market leaders.
- Coles continues to source most of its range from purse seine vessels using FADs, a method responsible for killing large numbers of sharks and other marine life, as well as threatened tuna species.
- Coles does nothing to promote equitable sourcing of tuna and its low pricing policy contributes to unfair returns to Pacific fishing communities.
- Coles offers a much more sustainable pole and line skipjack product under it's house brand. Choose that instead.
- Coles has improved labelling by supplying species name, catch method and catch area. It can trace its product back to the processor, vessel and catch period.
- Coles publicly supports marine reserves and will not allow suppliers to fish in the high seas conservation areas known as the Pacific Commons. Coles only sources from the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.
- Coles does not sell unsustainable Yellowfin tuna. It mainly sources Skipjack tuna, the healthiest tuna species.
4. John West - 60/100
John West has improved significantly since last year but its business is still reliant on destructive practices — it refuses to rule out FADs. John West doesn’t offer a sustainable option in its range or publicly support marine reserves. Still a major block to genuine change in the industry, John West needs to go further and commit to genuine measures that will protect the industry
- John West continues to source most of its range from purse seine vessels using FADs, a method responsible for killing large numbers of sharks and other marine life, as well as threatened tuna species.
- John West has made no public commitment to supporting marine reserves or to equitable sourcing of tuna.
- Labelling now includes the species name and the catch area which gives consumers much needed information. John West should add catch method to its labels.
- John West has switched its sourcing to 100% Skipjack tuna from the Western Central Pacific Oceans and doesn’t source from high seas pockets.
- John West has improved its traceability and audited its supply chain. Provision of full vessel and processor information allows for checking against illegal vessel blacklists — a good step.
5. Greenseas - 59/100
Greenseas was once a market leader but has made no fundamental improvements to its policy in recent years. It is committed to the use of destructive fishing methods that kill sharks and other marine life as well as juvenile tuna. Greenseas no longer stands out as a leader and has failed to keep up with labelling and transparency standards. It needs to step up again and make genuine sustainability commitments.
- Greenseas continues to source most of its range from purse seine vessels using FADs, a method responsible for killing large numbers of sharks and other marine life, as well as threatened tuna species.
- Greenseas has made no public commitment to supporting marine reserves.
- Greenseas needs to meet labelling best-practice and include the catch area on the can.
- Greenseas is sourcing 100% Skipjack tuna from the Western Central Pacific Oceans and doesn’t source from high seas pockets.
- Greenseas offers valuable support to pacific island organisations working on marine science and governance measures.
- Greenseas provides some useful consumer information on its website, however it underplays its unsustainable practices.
6. ALDI - 58/100
Aldi promised a lot but hasn’t progressed in the last year. Aldi insists on still selling overfished Yellowfin tuna in its exclusive brand range and still relies on destructive fishing methods for the majority of its products. Aldi’s public support for sustainable measures needs to be followed through, and dropping Yellowfin should be its first step.
- Aldi Australia relies heavily on Yellowfin tuna — a species in need of conservation measures, that has been dropped by other supermarket brands (and Aldi in Germany).
- Aldi continues to source most of its range from purse seine vessels using FADs, a method responsible for killing large numbers of sharks and other marine life, as well as threatened tuna species.
- Aldi’s labelling fails to identify the catch method or the specific catch area on the can.
- Aldi publicly admits that FADs are unsustainable, but it should follow through with its commitment to seek other methods.
- Aldi is strong on traceability but needs to disclose more accurate information on its label.
- Aldi publicly supports marine reserves and will not source from the high seas pockets known as the Pacific Commons.
- Aldi currently plans to offer a range of sustainable pole and line Skipjack tuna.
7. IGA - 55/100
IGA has a good opportunity to meet best-practice standards for its house brands but so far has failed to progress. IGA relies on destructive fishing methods and provides inaccurate information to consumers. IGA should focus on improving its product rather than offering misleading excuses.
- IGA continues to source most of its range from purse seine vessels using FADs, a method responsible for killing large numbers of sharks and other marine life, as well as threatened tuna species.
- IGA doesn’t guarantee it won’t source from proposed Pacific Commons conservation areas nor does it support marine reserves.
- IGA’s online sustainability policy is riddled with misinformation and errors. Its claim that sustainable, FAD-free tuna is too expensive demonstrates a woeful lack of commitment to sustainability.
- IGA is sourcing 100% Skipjack tuna from the Western Central Pacific Oceans.
- IGA lists the species type and catch area on the can but should reveal the catch method.
8. Sirena - 52/100
Sirena’s product is based exclusively on selling overfished Yellowfin tuna and has made no commitment to reducing its impact on that species. Sirena provides its customers with very little and often inaccurate information. Its recent pledge to improve will have to be followed through with commitment, transparency and acknowledgement of its obligations to sustainability.
- Sirena continues to source most of its range from purse seine vessels using FADs, a method responsible for killing large numbers of sharks and other marine life, as well as threatened tuna species.
- Sirena almost exclusively trades overfished Yellowfin tuna — a species in need of conservation measures.
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- Sirena makes no genuine sustainability commitments in its public policy and does not commit to marine reserves or to avoiding tuna sourced from the Pacific Commons conservation areas.
- Sirena makes misleading claims about sourcing fish from local producers
- Sirena maintains reasonable traceability protocols but needs to be more transparent.
- Sirena does not provide species name, catch method or catch area on its labels. It has committed to improving this, but needs to demonstrate real change.
- Sirena provides some funding for scientific research initiatives in the Pacific region, which is a positive step.
9. Woolworths - 12/100
Woolworths is yet to review the sustainability of its full range of seafood products despite misleading its customers with bold claims. Woolworths has disappointed each year by failing to keep up with competitors and failing to respect its customers’ rights to full and accurate information. This company still relies on destructive fishing methods for its tuna and offers little indication that it has the desire for genuine change.
- Woolworths continues to source most of its range from purse seine vessels using FADs, a method responsible for killing large numbers of sharks and other marine life, as well as threatened tuna species.
- Woolworths has no public policy that ensures sustainably or equitably sourced canned tuna. Its seafood policy does not include canned tuna and is misleading to consumers.
- Woolworths doesn’t guarantee it won’t source from Pacific Commons conservation areas nor does it publicly support marine reserves.
- Woolworths offers no evidence that it has full traceability of its supply chain and has supplied no information on suppliers. Woolworths offers no confirmation that it can guarantee sourcing from reputable operators leaving it open to the potential for unregulated or illegal fishing.
- Woolworths labels the species name for most products.
- Woolworths continues to sell overfished Yellowfin tuna, although it has told Greenpeace it will cease — a welcome development.
- Woolworths offers a pole and line caught Albacore product under its house brand, which is a welcome development.
10. Sole Mare - 5/100
Sole Mare is the least transparent tuna brand trading in Australia. Its entire product line is based on overfished Yellowfin tuna. Sole Mare needs to switch to a more sustainable species like Skipjack, drop destructive fishing methods and provide its customers with a reasonable amount of information. Sole Mare is continually disappointing.
- Sole Mare exclusively trades overfished Yellowfin tuna — a species in need of conservation measures.
- Sole Mare does not provide information on the fishing method it uses or the catch area.
- Sole Mare should be transparent about its supply chain and demonstrate traceability of its product. Without this, its supply chain cannot be trusted to be free of unregulated or illegal fishing.
- Sole Mare has not expressed public support for the establishment of marine reserves, nor does it have a publicly available equitable and sustainable sourcing policy.
Methodology
The tuna brands were ranked based on the following criteria:
- Sustainability Policy. It is essential that companies have in place an effective policy that ensures their products are produced sustainably.
- Fishing methods used. Most tuna is caught using purse seine nets with fish aggregation devices (FADs), a method responsible for high levels of bycatch including sharks and other marine life as well as juvenile tuna from threatened species. In contrast, pole and line fishing offers a less wasteful solution, with reduced bycatch. Pole and line fisheries also tend to offer greater economic returns to local populations. Purse seine fishing without FADs is an acceptable secondary option.
- Tuna species used. Each tuna species is under different levels of pressure. Bigeye and Yellowfin tuna are overfished and at risk. Skipjack tuna is declining, but is the tuna species of least concern.
- Labelling. Providing comprehensive information on labels gives customers the opportunity to make an informed choice based on the product’s sustainability. Labels should include the species name, catch method and the area the fish was caught in.
- Support for marine reserves and equitable tuna policies. Companies should offer public support for the establishment of marine reserves, including the proposed protected areas known as, the Pacific Commons. This will ensure the long-term sustainability of fish stocks and healthy marine ecosystems. It is equally important that reasonable economic benefits are returned to the countries who own the rights to individual fish stocks.
- Use of illegal or unregulated products Illegal fishing accounts for up to 46% of fishing activity in the Pacific, exacerbating the overfishing crisis. Companies should be able to guarantee their supply chain does not include operators that engage in illegal, unregulated or unreported (IUU) fishing.
The information has been obtained from a combination of brand responses to a Greenpeace product survey, correspondence with brands and retailers, publically available information and product evaluation.
Greenpeace is grateful for the assistance provided by retailers and brand suppliers in providing relevant information as well as for the assistance provided by various third party experts.