Sealord has signed on to WWF’s Western Central Pacific Tuna Conservation Pledge, New Zealand's first signatory, and announced its intention to reduce non-tuna bycatch to no more than one percent of total catch by 2015.
The pledge brings together brands, harvesters and manufacturers focused on ensuring tuna fishing is well managed.
Sealord said it plans to buy tuna only from the best performing fishermen in the Western Central Pacific, based on catch data from each trip, and would use tools including the ISSF (International Seafood Sustainability Foundation) Proactive Vessel Register to track an individual vessel’s fishing practices.
“This will improve our ability to tell our customers exactly what is being done by each vessel to reduce environmental impacts and keep the fishery healthy," said general manager Stu Yorston.
