Supermarket chain Waitrose has launched what it claims is the U.K. market’s first yellowfin and albacore tuna certified under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard.
The new chilled offerings include Waitrose No.1 MSC Yellowfin Tuna Steaks for GBP 8.00 (USD 11.00, EUR 9.40), MSC Diced Tuna for GBP 5.00, (USD 6.88, EUR 5.87), and Waitrose MSC Albacore Tuna Steaks for GBP 6.00 (USD 8.26, EUR 7.04).
These products have been available in 32 stores since 25 March, with Waitrose stating that “this market-first follows our commitment to achieving 100 percent third-party-certified products across wild-caught seafood species by 2025.”
Waitrose said in a press release it spent more than a decade working with suppliers, governments, and NGOs to bring these products to market, with an aim for all branches to stock them by mid-2022.
Waitrose Aquaculture and Fisheries Manager Andy Boulton said that “sourcing tuna sustainably has always been a challenge,” but that the retailer believes that it is its responsibility to use its influence to positively impact the environment and protect resources.
“Yellowfin tuna is very popular with our customers, so being able to offer a MSC-certified option after all these years is really exciting,” he said.
Commenting on the new offering, MSC Program Director for the U.K. and Ireland George Clark said that Waitrose had taken another great stride forward in sustainable seafood sourcing.
“Being also the only retailer in the U.K. currently offering 100 percent of its own brand tinned tuna with the MSC eco-label, Waitrose has demonstrated great leadership in bringing more certified sustainable tuna to British consumers," Clark said. "Through rewarding tuna fisheries that have met the MSC standard for sustainability and applying the blue eco-label to products, we help to ensure these iconic species are protected from overfishing for future generations and customers are able to make sustainable choices when they shop.”
Waitrose’s albacore tuna is also MSC-certified, and all of its canned tuna has been pole-and-line caught and MSC-certified for more than 10 years.
Photo courtesy of Waitrose
