How does your can stack up?
If you’re going to buy tuna, make sure to choose a sustainable and ethical option.
We’ve ranked 14 well-known canned tuna brands that can be found in grocery stores across the country based on how sustainable, ethical and fair their tuna products are for our oceans — and for the workers that help get the products to store shelves.
If you’re going to buy tuna, make sure to choose a sustainable and ethical option.
Click on a can to see the results
A go-to eco-brand, topping the ranks for its dedication to ensuring its tuna products are sustainable and responsible.
Which products are ocean safe?
All Wild Planet & Sustainable Seas brand canned tuna.
Wild Planet Foods is a company dedicated to providing sustainable tuna products. Its Wild Planet and Sustainable Seas brands are found in many stores across the US and its market presence is growing with increased demand for responsibly-caught tuna. While traditionally thought of by many as a specialty product, this better option is now more accessible to consumers. The company’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond its products to its advocacy for positive industry change and stronger fisheries management.
A sustainable tuna brand through and through, also dedicated to supporting local and small-scale fishers.
Which products are ocean safe?
All American Tuna and Pole & Line brand canned tuna.
American Tuna is a San Diego-based company created by six pole and line fishing families. The company offers products under its flagship brand, American Tuna and its Pole & Line brand in Whole Foods Markets, specialty markets, and food service providers across the country. Though a smaller brand, American Tuna is well-known by US eco-conscious shoppers. American Tuna takes its commitment beyond just ensuring ocean safe tuna by including organic ingredients to compliment the tuna, reducing waste by providing albacore offcuts to other fisheries for bait, and ensuring products are packaged in BPA-free cans.
This newer brand is one to look out for, as it’s determined to provide ocean safe tuna nationwide.
Which products are ocean safe?
All Ocean Naturals brand canned tuna.
Ocean Naturals is owned by Tri Marine – one of the biggest tuna traders in the world. Starting as an offering in Walmart, this brand is growing and will be popping up on other supermarket shelves in the year to come. For a company of this size, Tri Marine is an unparalleled frontrunner. The company’s internal sourcing policies are comprehensive and once fully implemented have the potential to be a game changer in the tuna world; provided the Ocean Naturals standards are promoted across all supply relationships.
Any 365 tuna choice is a better one at this supermarket, but transparency could be improved.
Whole Foods Market is the world’s largest purveyor of natural and organic products and is a known leader in seafood sustainability. However, while the company has a strong general seafood sustainability policy, Whole Foods does not have a specific canned tuna policy. With some additional attention to its canned tuna sourcing, Whole Foods’ rapid growth will allow the company to continue driving positive change in the industry and on the water.
Some good choices available but watch out for products not labeled with pole and line or pole and troll.
Hy-Vee is an employee-owned private company operating in the Midwest. Over the last few years, this retailer got serious about seafood sustainability. To move toward the green ranked category and continue demonstrating leadership, we encourage Hy-Vee to only sell sustainable tuna under its private label. Based on the leadership seen so far, we expect to see big changes from this retailer.
Good option to save some turtles and sharks, but more attention needed to ensure products are green across the board.
Which products are ocean safe?
Trader Joe’s brand skipjack tuna.
Trader Joe’s operates more than 450 stores across the country, and in recent years has focused on offering more sustainable seafood. The company has taken some strong action to green its tuna, but needs to go further by ensuring rigorous sourcing requirements and improving transparency.
Good options available, but a lack of a public policy leaves consumers with questions.
Which products are ocean safe?
Safeway brand skipjack.
Following Safeway’s acquisition by Albertsons, the newly merged company is the fourth largest grocery retailer in the US. Safeway was one of the first out of the gate to completely switch its private label skipjack tuna to more sustainable sources. However, uncertainty around the merger contributed to the company performing poorly in this year’s ranking. With the formalization of all sourcing requirements into a policy and better traceability mechanisms in place, Safeway can regain its position as a sustainable seafood leader while also bringing along Albertsons.
If you’re shopping for Costco tuna, make sure it’s only for Kirkland Signature skipjack.
Which products are ocean safe?
Kirkland Signature brand skipjack.
Costco Wholesale Corporation is a membership-based warehouse club, and the third largest retail chain in the US operating nationwide. Sustainable tuna on Costco’s shelves means that more people have access to better tuna options. Costco made waves in 2014 with its skipjack, and this year needs to seal the deal with its albacore. With its business model of limited choice, let’s hope this retail giant will soon offer only sustainable and ethical options.
Simply Balanced is the only safe bet, avoid the rest
Target’s “big box” store concept is based on low prices and trendy products, which it offers across the US. Target made progress by introducing more sustainable options under its Simply Balanced brand, but has yet to chart a course for the rest of its private label tuna products. A lack of clarity about its overall tuna procurement picture landed this retailer in the red. By creating clear sustainability goals through a tuna sourcing policy, Target could easily climb the ranks next time around.
Great Value is anything but great for sharks and turtles, don’t buy this brand if you are an ocean-lover.
Which products are ocean safe?
None.
Walmart is the largest retailer in the US and, as such, is an important force in the canned tuna market. Unfortunately this market powerbroker has been slow to act and wield its buying power for good. Great Value customers have to look elsewhere for ocean safe skipjack and albacore Great Value tuna until Walmart follows the lead of its UK counterpart, Asda and commits to go green. Walmart can act now and help lead the sustainable tuna movement, or drown in a sea of ocean destruction.
No signs of ensuring fish for the future by this brand, best to avoid.
Which products are ocean safe?
None.
Chicken of the Sea, a subsidiary of the world’s biggest tuna company Thai Union, is the third largest tuna brand in the US market. Occupying about 20 percent of the market, this brand also occupies a lot of shelf space in supermarket aisles across the country. While the company claims it’s dedicated to ensuring sustainable products, we have yet to find one under its brand. Ranking slightly above the other two big brands, this company could break away from its competitors if it made a commitment to offer customers across the country ocean safe tuna.
Cute bee, terrible brand. For the love of the oceans, avoid this tuna brand and its greenwashing ways.
Which products are ocean safe?
None.
Bumble Bee Foods, North America’s largest branded shelf stable seafood company , occupies over a quarter of the US market share of canned tuna. Soon to be part of the world’s largest tuna company, Bumble Bee has the responsibility to use its buying power and influence for positive change on the water. Instead, this brand is more greenwash than green action, playing off its Wild Selections brand as an eco-solution when it’s really an eco-shield for the dirty tuna plaguing its flagship brand.
The contents of this brand is an unsolved mystery, avoid at all cost.
Which products are ocean safe?
None.
Kroger is the largest traditional grocery chain in the US and could be a powerful force in improving ocean health. However, the company’s lack of transparency has left many questions about whether it intends to make a move towards sourcing ocean safe tuna, but currently all signs point to "no". Perhaps its partner organization World Wildlife Fund (WWF) can help convince this eco-slacker to commit to be part of the ocean safe tuna solution.
This brand has something to hide, and we bet it’s ocean destruction.
Which products are ocean safe?
None.
Starkist, owned by Dongwon, has the largest market share of any canned tuna brand in the US. Scraping the bottom of the ranking, Starkist’s failure to take sustainability seriously is trashing our oceans to offer cheap and dirty tuna nationwide. It is not only the poorest performer, but along with other red ranked brands is dragging the industry down. It’s time Starkist starts thinking of the future of its business and invests in healthy tuna stocks and ocean ecosystems.
Some of the biggest tuna brands, Bumble Bee, Starkist, and Chicken of the Sea, get failing grades for their destructive fishing practices that are responsible for killing tens of thousands of marine animals every year, including already vulnerable sharks, rays, and sea turtles.
Take action today to tell these brands to clean up their dirty tuna!
Chicken of the Sea gets failing grades for its destructive fishing practices, but the company could be the first major U.S. tuna brand to move the industry in a better direction.
take actionTuna labels can be confusing and make it hard to actually know what you’re buying. Here is a list of terms that you may find on a label to help you better understand what is actually in the can!
Commonly found in cans in the US. Also known as white meat or white tuna. Some stocks are healthy, some are not. Hard to know without additional information about where it was caught. Pacific stocks are in better shape.
One of the most overfished tuna species. Listed as a vulnerable species by the IUCN. Avoid these products.
Marine life unintentionally caught and often killed when fishing, like sharks, turtles and juvenile tuna. Some fishing methods have a higher rate of bycatch than others such as conventional longlines and purse seines employing fish aggregating devices (FADs).
This is a fishing method where a fishing line, often several miles long, is set out into the ocean with secondary lines containing baited hooks to catch tuna. Because it is so indiscriminate, sea turtles and other marine life often bytake the bait. By making the hooks more circular, it reduces the likelihood of turtles being caught on the hook. It means the brand is trying to lessen its impact on marine life — but it does not mean it is 100% sustainable.
This means where the tuna was caught.
This means where most of the processing has taken place.
Dolphin safe does not mean ocean safe. It means that one fishing method that targets tuna that swim with dolphins is not used to catch the tuna. What about the rays and turtles?!
Fish and marine life are attracted to these floating objects. When used with purse seine nets they can result in the catch and death of various species.
This tuna was caught by purse seine nets without the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs), which attract and result in the catch of lots of animals other than tuna. A better choice.
This is another way of saying FAD Free. It means that the tuna were caught by purse seine nets not using fish aggregating devices (FADs) or setting on marine mammals. Other marine life are less impacted when fishing free school, so it is a better option.
This phrase actually indicates a certification scheme of sustainable seafood products from fisheries and aquaculture. Not the most rigorous of certifications. Make sure to look at how the tuna was caught and if the species is a better option.
A single fishing line is held in a fishers hand to catch tuna one by one. Impacts on other species are minimal. A more sustainable choice.
Also known as pirate fishing, they steal fish, exacerbating the overfishing crisis.
A term used to refer to skipjack, yellowfin, and sometimes bigeye tuna. Most often it will be skipjack, but check the ingredients list to be sure.
Fishing lines sometimes dozens of miles long, baited with thousands of hooks. Very indiscriminate fishing gear and highly destructive.
Similar to national parks on land, they are areas free from fishing and other industrial activities. Safe havens like this are essential to replenish marine ecosystems.
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is a certification scheme for wild fisheries. MSC certified products are supposed to meet certain sustainability criteria. Certified products carry a blue and white logo with a fish and a check mark. In many cases, it means a better option for tuna, but best to also look for what species is inside and how it was caught.
This tuna was caught without using longlines, which stretch for miles with thousands of hooks that can cause the drowning of species incidentally caught like seabirds, sharks and turtles. “No longlines” on the label is a sign of a an ocean safe option!
The Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise logo can be found on some products that the organization deems sustainable. Ocean Wise recommendations are determined using the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program assessment methodology. Likely a better option, but the logo is not always well policed.
A fishing methods that catches tuna one-by-one with the use of a pole, usually several fishers line the perimeter of a boat and catch the tuna at the same time using baitfish. Impacts on other species are minimal. A best choice.
This means the tuna was either caught using pole and line or troll. The tuna was not separated to help determine the exact fishing method it came from, so the specific method is not labeled. Both are better options.
Most of the processing of that product has occurred in the named country.
Giant nets that encircle schools of fish and then are drawn tight like a drawstring purse. Very destructive when used with fish aggregating devices (FADs) and how most tuna is caught. Look for FAD-free instead.
You need more information to ensure this is true. Some brands have this as a label they use, but dig a little deeper to find out what this means before taking their word for it.
The most abundant species of tuna. Often noted as light tuna on the can.
Unless this is accompanied by information about the species and how it was caught, don’t take their word for it.
A species occasionally found in cans in the US. Less is known about tongol stocks than other tuna species, so it’s best to avoid these products.
A method of fishing known as trolling where one or more jigged fishing lines are towed through the water behind a slow moving boat. A jig is a rubber lure. It is a selective method with minimal catch of other marine life. A much better option.
This means that a fishing method was employed that prevents the accidental catch of turtles. It’s usually found on products caught using pole or troll methods.
This just means that the tuna was caught in the ocean and not farmed (which is very rare for canned tuna species). It sounds nice, but means nothing when it comes to its sustainability.
A term used to describe albacore tuna.
A species often found in cans in the US. Sometimes referred to as light meat. Many stocks have been overfished and have suffered declines. Best to avoid.