John West tuna is now MSC certified

John West Australia, WWF Australia and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) have come together to help end unsustainable fishing methods within Australia’s canned tuna industry.

The news comes in the wake of John West’s 2012 pledge to only source tuna caught using independently verified FAD-free methods. With this target having now been met and exceeded, the company’s next goal was to ensure its tuna was MSC certified.

“MSC is the world’s most credible sustainability standard for wild-caught fish, a process which requires independent third-party auditors to evaluate a fishery’s performance against the most robust sustainability standards available globally,” said WWF Australia CEO Dermot O’Gorman. Certified fisheries must prove that their fish population is healthy, the impact to the marine ecosystem is minimised and management practices are effective to maintain sustainability.

“Australians will now see over 100 million cans of clearly labelled MSC-certified sustainably sourced tuna in supermarkets,” said O’Gorman. “The magnitude of this — affecting a huge 42.7% of Australia’s canned tuna — makes this a world first.”

“By completely transforming their supply chain to source from MSC-certified sustainable fisheries, John West are leading the way to help ensure our oceans stay healthy and teeming with life for generations to come,” added MSC Asia Pacific Director Patrick Caleo. “We are proud to be alongside John West as they make this significant change and congratulate them on this monumental move to help keep our oceans healthy.”