Coles canned tuna range to get tick of approval

PARTNER RELEASE: COLES GROUP 

 The original release sourced here: Media releases | Coles Group

To mark World Tuna Day, Coles can today announce that all its Own Brand canned tuna will begin to carry the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) blue fish tick label from September, making it the first Australian supermarket to announce its commitment to having the MSC standard for sustainable fishing and seafood supply chain assurance across its canned tuna range. 

When the transition is complete, more than 45 popular Own Brand canned tuna products, including Coles Tuna Chunks, Pacific brand Yellowfin Tuna and Wild Tides, will contain tuna caught in MSC-certified fisheries and feature the MSC blue fish tick label, giving customers the assurance they are purchasing wild seafood from a well-managed and sustainable fishery.

Coles General Manager Own Brand, Quality and Responsible Sourcing Charlotte Rhodes said the decision to source tuna from fisheries certified to one of the world’s most widely respected and credible wild seafood certification programs provides customers with added confidence at the checkout. 

“By adding the MSC blue fish tick label to all Coles brand canned tuna we’re demonstrating the great lengths we are going to make sustainable choices more accessible and more convenient for our customers,” said Charlotte. 

“This important milestone will see Coles have the largest MSC-certified own-brand seafood range in the country and be on track to become the first Aussie supermarket to have its entire canned fish range third-party certified by the leading global standards for sustainable seafood,” she added.

The additional MSC-certified tuna products will be available in Coles stores nationally by the end of the year, bringing the total number of MSC-certified Own Brand products to 75, including the Coles Canned Pink Salmon range, Frozen Beer-Battered Fish Fillets, and Thawed Australian Raw Banana Prawns. 

MSC Program Director Oceania and Singapore Anne Gabriel said Coles’ commitment to sourcing MSC-certified tuna across its entire own-brand canned tuna range recognises and rewards the sustainable tuna fishing communities safeguarding this vital resource for the future. 

“We commend Coles for offering Aussies affordable, MSC-certified sustainable canned tuna at a time when global demand for the fish is increasing, and the pressure on tuna populations and ecosystems has intensified,” said Anne. 

“By offering Australians access to third-party verified sustainable tuna, Coles is joining a global movement of tuna brands playing their part to celebrate and incentivise MSC-certified tuna fisheries, which account for over 40% of tuna fisheries worldwide,” she added.

The announcement comes as Coles was crowned MSC Best Sustainable Seafood Supermarket at this year’s Sustainable Seafood Awards Australia. Independently judged, Coles received the award for having the most significant commitment to MSC-certified seafood of any retailer in Australia. 

The MSC is an international non-profit on a mission to end overfishing and restore fish stocks for future generations. The MSC blue fish tick label on a seafood product means it comes from a wild-catch fishery, which has been independently certified to the MSC’s science-based standard for sustainable fishing and has been kept separate all along the supply chain.