Today Greenpeace has released the results of its 2015 tuna league table, which ranks all major UK supermarkets and brands. Greenpeace assess sustainability levels, fishing method, supply chain traceability, legality, protection of local workers and other factors. The results show strong leadership from SSC members Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s (placed first to third, respectively), as well as Tesco, which jumped up the rankings to fourth place.
Waitrose Aquaculture and Fisheries Manager, Jeremy Ryland Langley, said:
“We are delighted that our efforts in ensuring we offer sustainable and ethical tuna to customers has been recognised. All of our canned tuna is pole and line caught and clearly marked as Marine Stewardship Council certified, including all the tuna in ready-prepared products such as sandwiches and pâtés. In addition all skipjack tuna used as an ingredient in any Waitrose product is also Marine Stewardship Council certified. Sustainability is at the very heart of what we do and we are proud to be market-leading.”
Marks and Spencer said:
“Sourcing ethical and sustainable seafood is something we’re passionate about at M&S so we’re thrilled to feature within the top 2 of the Greenpeace league table. Not only do our customers expect us to source responsibly, but the future of the world’s fisheries depends on it. Tuna is a popular choice with our customers and we work very hard to bring them the highest quality products from fisheries and suppliers we know and trust.”
Ally Dingwall, Aquaculture & Fisheries Manager at Sainsbury’s said:
“We’re delighted that our effort to improve the sustainability of our tuna has been recognised by Greenpeace and encouraged others to follow our lead. We hope further progress can be made within the sector to make our oceans safer for marine species.”
Tesco said:
“We want to ensure that our customers can buy seafood that is both sustainable and affordable. We continue to work hard with our supplier partners and our experts to achieve this.”
