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John West unveils 'boat to plate' tinned tuna initiative

By Lewis Smith

October 10 2011 Lewis Smith

An innovative scheme to enable customers to find out where their tinned tuna was caught is being launched by John West.

Code numbers stamped on to each tin will, when entered into a website, reveal the region of the world’s oceans where the fish was caught and the identity of the boat  that landed it.

It is thought to be the first such scheme in the world and was welcomed by Greenpeace as a further step towards openness and traceability by the industry.

Earlier this year John West was regarded as having one of the worst records among the major retailers in the UK for canned tuna because it was the only one that persisted in buying catches taken using fish aggregation devices, a method high in bycatch including turtles and sharks.

But in July the company announced it was phase out their use by 2016 and now it is the first to enable its customers to trace the contents of individual cans to their source. A spokeswoamn said John West intends to expand the scheme to all its canned fish by the end of next year.

David Ritter, of Greenpeace, said: “Anything that increases transparency we welcome.”
Paul Reenan, of John West, said: "For the first time, we have made it possible for consumers to trace exactly where their fish comes from. We know the origins of every product in our range, and we are committed to sharing this detail with all of our customers."

He continues, "John West is setting a precedent in the canned fish industry, leading the way when it comes to traceability and offering our shoppers unparalleled transparency over their fish's origins." The scheme starts on October 10 and will be promoted by an advertising campaign. Canned tuna can be traced on the company’s website, www.john-west.co.uk.

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