The Tuna Transparency Pledge has gained multiple major signatories – including retailers, suppliers, and tuna associations – as it pushes to increase on-the-water monitoring of the world’s tuna vessels.
The Tuna Transparency Pledge is a global initiative started by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in 2024. The central goal of the pledge is to gain signatories who promise to advance on-the-water monitoring across tuna-fishing vessels within their supply chains, with a goal of reaching 100 percent on-the-water monitoring by 2027.
Initial signatories to the pledge included Walmart, Albertsons Companies, and Thai Union – along with the governments of Belize and the Federated States of Micronesia.
Now, TNC announced it has gained several new signatories including Carrefour, Aramark, Culimer USA, Lusamerica Foods, Pacific Island Tuna, and the Association of Large Freezer Tuna Vessels.
“We’re super excited to have the latest round of signatories join the pledge,” TNC Large-Scale Fisheries Director Ben Gilmer told SeafoodSource. “The world we want to see, and believe in, is 100 percent transparency and accountability on the water in industrial fisheries, and we think a key to doing that is to have 100 percent monitoring.”
Gilmer said the new companies represent major parts of the overall global tuna supply chain, and having them on board will be a major boon for the Tuna Transparency Pledge.
“We’re excited for this next wave of signatories which includes one of the world’s biggest foodservice companies – Aramark – and a major European retailer in Carrefour,” Gilmer said.
Aramark is the first foodservice company to adopt the pledge, according to TNC.
“The pledge reinforces Aramark’s commitment to sustainable seafood and recognizes the important steps that need to be taken to improve data and transparency in tuna supply chains,” Aramark Vice President of Responsible Sourcing Natily Santos said.
Carrefour Chief Impact Officer Carine Kraus said joining the pledge adds to its existing environmental commitments; it joined the Global Tuna Alliance in 2024 as part of its work to strengthen fisheries management practices.
“Tuna plays an important role in our offer, as one of our most popular seafood products. However, tuna supply chains bear human risk and biodiversity challenges that we must address,” Kraus said.
The central goal of the transparency pledge is “first-mile accountability” for the global tuna fleet to ensure that ...
