Seafood brand Chicken of the Sea, which is owned by food conglomerate Thai Union Group, has announced that it will source all of its branded retail tuna products from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified fisheries by the end of this year.
The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.-based company will become the first mainstream U.S. tuna brand to carry the MSC blue fish eco-label across its entire retail portfolio, Chicken of the Sea said in a release.
Chicken of the Sea’s commitment is “a meaningful step toward recognizing and supporting the fisheries and businesses worldwide that are dedicated to sustainability and to ensuring healthy oceans and seafood for future generations,” MSC U.S. Program Director Laura McDearis said.
The announcement confirms that all of the tuna Chicken of the Sea sources has been caught using sustainable fishing practices, faces minimized environmental and ecosystem impacts, and is overseen by effective fishery management practices.
"This certification is not a marketing label. It is proof of responsibility," Chicken of the Sea International President Andy Mecs said. "By the end of the year, every retail size can and pouch that we pack will carry the assurance that our tuna comes from an environmentally sustainable fishery and supports healthy oceans.”
According to Chicken of the Sea, the brand’s parent company, Thai Union, has made investments in tuna fishery improvement projects over the past decade through considerable time spent working with fishing industry experts, vessel owners, and government officials to improve fisheries and enable them to pass their MSC assessments. Thai Union's work with fisheries now spans approximately 10 percent of global tuna catch.
Additionally, Chicken of the Sea’s commitment helps progress goals laid out in Thai Union's SeaChange 2030 initiative, a company-wide commitment to reshaping sustainability processes in the seafood industry by 2030 while supporting marine ecosystem health and coastal community resilience.
