Maldives tuna source UK’s first certified sustainable tuna sandwich

Tuna caught in the Maldives is the source of the UK’s first certified sustainable tuna sandwich, UK media have reported.

The Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s uses the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified pole and line caught tuna from the Maldives in its new range of sandwiches.

The MSC ‘eco-label’ is said to provide consumers with the assurance that a product is traceable back to a certified and sustainable source. In November 2012, the Maldivian pole and line skipjack fishery received the certification for its low-impact technique where each wild fish is caught individually to reduce by catch.

“By choosing tuna from the Maldives tuna fishery, Sainsbury’s is supporting artisanal fishermen who have made an international difference to the way the Indian Ocean fishery is managed,” the Marine Steward Council’s Senior Country Manager Toby Middleton said.