UK canned seafood manufacturer John West has announced a commitment to sell sustainably-sourced tuna.
It plans to source 100% of its UK sales of tuna by a combination of pole and line and purse seine FAD-free (fish aggregation devices) methods by the end of 2016.
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John West said the five-year plan was developed in consultation with Greenpeace, marine biology scientists and the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, of which WWF is a founding member.
The shift will be in stages, with John West to source at least 25% of its UK tuna sales from pole and line by the end of 2012. It aims to source at least 35% by the end of 2013.
For the remaining 65%, John West will only buy tuna purse caught on FADs where the boats are able to provide year-on-year “best practice qualified audits of by-catch levels” and that have agreed to adopt measures to ensure a 50% by-catch reduction by 2014.
The company, which is own by Thailand-based seafood group Thai Union Frozen Products – aims to source at leats half of its UK tuna sales from pole and line by the end of 2014.
For the rest of its UK sales, John West said that as an interim measure it will only buy tuna purse seined on FADs where the boats can prove they have reduced by-catch by 50% against the 2011 baseline.
It also said that it supports the creation of the Pacific Commons Marine Reserves and “commits not to source from these areas”.
“The launch of our genuine transparent and detailed plan for tuna sustainability marks a step change in our business,” said John West managing director Paul Reenan. “We will need full support of boat owners, retailers and consumers to meet our goals. We know we have a long way to go to meet these challenging targets, but we are committed to continuing to place sustainable fishing practices at the heart of our business.”
As part of the implementation of the new sourcing programme, from September, John West will roll out a new range of pole- and line-sourced tuna products. It said the introduction of the range is a “significant investment”.
The range will include 185g Tuna Chunks, which will have an MRRP of GBP1.59 (US$2.61). The line will also include 3 x 80g Tuna Chunks, which will have an MRRP of GBP2.09. Both packs will be available in Brine, Sunflower Oil and Springwater.
John West is also launching a range of salmon, mackerel and sardines which will carry the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) logo.
