Sustainability Issues
In August 2008, John West was assessed by conservation group Greenpeace as selling the least sustainable tinned tuna in the UK in its Tuna League. John West has now moved up the league to 7th place and has committed to source all of its Tuna through a combination of pole and line and purse seine FAD-free (fish aggregation devices) sustainable catch methods by the end of 2016. The first step towards this was the launch of pole and line tuna in September 2011.
John West has been criticised for indiscriminate use of destructive fishing methods leading to the decimation of turtle and shark populations. Greenpeace has also noted that John West failed to show sufficient care in selecting healthier fish stocks but this doesn’t reflect the current reality. John West partners with the Earth Island Institute, who ensure that all that the fish in its canneries is dolphin safe and caught by the approved methods and has processes in place to ensure it is making responsible choices about fish stocks.
John West's range of salmon, mackerel and sardine products is certified to the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) standard for a well-managed and sustainable fishery. Every can in the range carries the Marine Stewardship Council logo.
John West does not sell endangered or critically endangered species from the International Union Conservation of Nature Red List and has never sold blue fin tuna, which is the subject of numerous campaigns from NGOs due to its endangered status from overfishing.
John West sells a range of seafood products all of which are caught in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). John West does not buy from IUU (Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated) vessels, neither does it buy any fish that has been:
- transhipped at sea
- caught by long-line fishing methods
- caught by drift-nets
- caught by boats from any flag state which is not a member of the relevant RFMO (Regional Fishing Management Organisation)
- caught by fishing vessels which do not ban shark finning
- caught by vessels which do not have an EU sanitary agreement
Read more about this topic: John West Foods
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