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THE supermarket chain Morrisons has announced a comprehensive change to its sourcing of own brand canned tuna to ensure it is caught using the pole and line method or it is from FAD free fisheries.This policy also applies to tuna used as an ingredient in Morrisons' products including sandwiches and in-store prepared products.
The company said it would also help customers with their purchase decisions by amending its labels to include the catch method and origin of the tuna. Morrisons says it is making this decision because it knows its customers want it to help reduce the impact of tuna fishing on the marine environment.
The company has been working towards a change of sourcing policy for some time, working with suppliers and talking to industry bodies and NGOs.
Martyn Jones, Group Director of Corporate Services for Morrisons, said: “At Morrisons, we only make promises that we can keep and that is why we are giving this commitment to source sustainably-caught tuna. Our customers want their tuna to be caught responsibly and we now believe we have the supply chain in place to ensure we can meet our customers’ aspirations.”
This change strengthens Morrisons own label credentials on canned fish where Morrisons label canned salmon, mackerel and Albacore tuna are currently sourced from MSC accredited fisheries. Morrisons fresh tuna is already line caught or sourced from the Cornish coast when in season.
The fresh fish counters are certified under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Chain of Custody traceability programme. This ensures that traceability is maintained throughout all stages of the supply chain, from certified fisheries through to the counter.
The company added: "We are the only British major supermarket to label each fish on our fresh fish counters with its scientific name and catch method, as well as the area where the fish was caught."
Morrisons aid it had endorsed the call that Greenpeace has made for large scale marine reserves and in particular the Pacific Commons region, to be set aside so that tuna is not taken from the region.
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