Austrian retailer SPAR is delivering the first sustainably-labeled tuna to the European marketplace, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said in a statement this week.
The retailer is bringing skipjack tuna from the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, the first retailer to offer canned tuna to Europe bearing Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) sustainability certification.
The tuna comes from Pacific Island nations that are parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), including the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.
"WWF applauds the PNA, its co-brand partner Pacifical, and SPAR in their partnership in making delivery of sustainably sourced, FAD-free MSC skipjack tuna to the Austrian market." said Alfred Schumm, WWF's smart fishing initiative leader. "It is a remarkable success for these developing nations to have banded together in an effort to secure their own economies through sustainable management of their natural resources. We hope that more markets in Europe and the rest of the world will recognize this effort and will offer these certified tuna products."
