Princes has revealed plans to source and sell 100% of its UK Princes branded tuna from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified sustainable fisheries by the end of 2025.
Its roadmap includes three milestones, which aims to see Princes increase MSC labelled tuna products to 25% by the end of 2023, 50% in 2024 and 100% by the end of 2025. Achieving the 100% milestone represents 75 million cans of MSC-certified tuna per year under the Princes brand.
The manufacturer claims that its targets will mean the amount of certified sustainable tuna available in the UK will increase by five times, based on current volumes.
Source fisheries will include newly MSC certified fleets, in addition to the Group’s existing MSC certified suppliers.
According to Princes, to become MSC certified, fisheries are assessed by independent certification bodies in compliance with MSC Fisheries Standard requirements across three principles: only fishing healthy stocks; good management so stocks can be fished for the long-term; and minimising the impacts on other species and the wider ecosystem.
The manufacturer added: “MSC certification is the most globally recognised standard for seafood sustainability and demonstrates that a fishery meets international best practices for sustainable fishing. Fish and seafood from certified fisheries carry the blue MSC eco label, assuring customers that what they’re buying is sustainable.”
While there is a premium for MSC-certified tuna at present, this is expected to level with the standard pricing of all tuna products in time, as certified sustainable volumes rise and become the norm across the UK market.
An ambitious target
Neil Bohannon, group director for Seafood at Princes, said: “Our 100% MSC-certified sustainable sourcing goal is [an] ambitious target, but one that we are confident in reaching through continued investment and engagement with retailers, fisheries, NGOs and other industry players.”
Bohannon explained that “important progress” had been made by global fisheries to achieve MSC standards in recent years, however brands and retailers also have “a crucial role to play” in advancing seafood sustainability by making more certified sustainable products available to shoppers.
He said: “Consumers want reassurance that the fish they are eating has been sourced sustainably and MSC certification is the best way of doing this.”
