Bumble Bee Seafoods announced on Wednesday, 13 April an agreement with Pacifical to purchase and promote its Marine Stewardship Council-certified tuna.
Pacifical markets free-school skipjack and yellowfin tuna from the eight island nations comprising the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) – Tuvalu, Palau, Kribati, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia.
“The long-term sustainability of the world’s oceans is critical to the long-term viability of our business. About 25 percent of the global catch of tuna comes from this [PNA] region and we’re proud to partner with Pacifical to raise additional awareness of their commitment to social accountability, food safety and traceability,” said Bumble Bee president and CEO Chris Lischewski.
Sand Diego, California-based Bumble Bee Seafoods is North America’s largest branded shelf-stable seafood company. It sells frozen seafood under the Bumble Bee Superfresh line as well as canned and pouched tuna and other proteins in the U.S. under several brand names including Bumble Bee, Brunswick, Snow’s, Wild Selections and Beach Cliff. Bumble Bee also sells products in Canada under the Clover Leaf brand.
“We know people want to purchase sustainable products and we also know they want to know where their food is coming from,” Lischewski said. “This partnership further demonstrates our commitment to sustainability, transparency and delivering high-quality, safe and nutritious seafood to consumers.”
Pacifical will provide Bumble Bee with 100 percent traceability for all its MSC-certified products, including the vessel and captain name, fishing method and catching period.
“We bear the responsibility of ensuring the sustainability of our tuna stocks for the future of our people and our children and as an important food source for the world’s population,” PNA commercial director Maurice Brownjohn said. “We look forward to working with Bumble Bee as well as restaurants and retailers around the world to increase the supply of MSC labelled sustainable tuna.”
