Tesco was bottom of tinned tuna league table before a u-turn left it finishing 4th in the table. (Photo: Cobb/Greenpeace)

Greenpeace ranks tinned tuna brands with Princes coming last

UNITED KINGDOM
Tuesday, January 11, 2011, 02:50 (GMT + 9)

Tesco’s new policy on the fishing methods it allows for its own-brand tuna has removed it from the bottom of Greenpeace’s tinned tuna league table. Meanwhile, Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose took the top three places and Princes fell last.

“Having got wind of our new tinned tuna league table and the fact that it was going to come last, Tesco has done a spectacular u-turn. After being the subject of a Greenpeace investigation, it has radically improved its policy on the fishing methods it will permit for its own-brand tuna,” the organisation stated.

Over the last few months, Greenpeace has been putting together a new league table and report to show how the tinned tuna of supermarkets and important brands Princes and John West rate insofar as sustainability. 

The group disseminated surveys to the various companies regarding their policies on how their tuna is caught, which species they stock, the labelling on their cans, and any public statements made about supporting the

Tinned tuna league table 2011. (Greenpeace)

establishment of marine reserves such as the Pacific Commons, among other issues.

Greenpeace found that all the companies have progressed in the last couple of years in differing degrees. 

Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose took the top three spots because they only stock tuna caught by pole and line. Tesco came last because most of its tuna is caught with fish aggregating devices and purse seine nets – which ensnare and kill sharks, rays and juvenile tuna.

But then Tesco announced that it would stock 100 per cent pole and line-caught tuna by the end of 2012, which moved the chain up to the fourth place, even though it used the phrase "if possible" and no word was given on public support for marine reserves. In contrast, a month ago Tesco said it was only prepared to source 25 per cent of its tuna in the same manner and only as a trial. 

The UK is the planet’s second main consumer of canned tuna behind the US, and Tesco is the product’s biggest seller of the product in the UK. 

Princes fell to the bottom place on Greenpeace’s free guide, as most of its tuna is caught with large quantities of bycatch. Further, Princes sells the vulnerable bigeye tuna as well as yellowfin tuna and fails to mention on the label how the tuna was caught or its species.

Greenpeace said it would make a complaint to the Office of Fair Trading next week regarding the company’s false claims that it "is fully committed to fishing methods which protect the marine environment and marine life" printed on its labels.

“The only way to protect our marine environment and stocks of fish like tuna is to change the way we manage the oceans. We need to reduce fishing to sustainable levels, abandon destructive fishing practices and set aside large areas as marine reserves – national parks at sea – where no fishing takes place and stocks are allowed to recover,” the organisation said.

Related articles:

- Greenpeace releases new Canned Tuna Guide 

- Seafood retailers improving sustainability policies: Greenpeace 

By Natalia Real
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

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