John West will no longer source tuna caught in a purse seine using fish aggregating devices (FADs), according to Greenpeace, which made the announcement on Tuesday.
The environmental activist organization said John West — which produces one-third of the United Kingdom’s canned tuna and is owned by Thai Union Group — is the last major canned-tuna brand to make the commitment, joining Princes, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, M&S, Tesco, the Co-op and Morrisons.
In January when Greenpeace updated its report ranking the UK’s canned-tuna brands according to whether their fish is harvested in a sustainable, environmentally friendly manner, John West came in at No. 8, beating out only Princes at No. 9.
“Just a few months ago, only a minority of tinned tuna retailers had cleaned up their act, but in a short amount of time there’s been a groundbreaking shift across the tinned-tuna industry,” John Sauven, Greenpeace UK executive director.
John West’s pledge makes the UK the world’s most sustainable canned-tuna market, said Greenpeace, which is targeting canned-tuna brand in several other markets, including New Zealand and Canada.
Also on Tuesday, John West announced that it’s launching a range of pole and line-caught tuna products.
