Buying tuna kills albatrosses and turtles, Asda audit finds

Fisheries study finds many ocean species at risk from catch methods as Asda vows sustainability change

SUPERMARKET shoppers who buy tuna are unwittingly contributing to the deaths of albatrosses, porpoises and turtles, an RSPB study has found.

Britain’s second-largest supermarket chain found that fishing for many popular species, including cod, tuna and haddock, puts other marine life at risk because of animals accidentally caught on hooks and in nets.

Asda has said it will examine its supply chain, and eliminate as many of these risks to biodiversity as possible.

The first British supermarket to commission a bycatch audit of all its fish found that the fisheries it uses scar whales, ensnare turtles and choke albatrosses. Asda asked Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership and the RSPB to look into its seafood supply chains, and make recommendations about the sustainability of its fish.

“Asda is committed to being a leader on sustainable seafood in the retail industry,” said Chris Brown, Asda’s senior director for sustainable supply chains.

“Asda wanted to study bycatch, because we know we need to do more to protect marine wildlife. This report provides us with a clear plan of the improvements we need from our suppliers. We hope our actions will motivate others in the seafood sector to look at the impacts of their supply chains on the ocean environment.” Bycatch is one of the major issues facing many of the world’s rarest marine animals.

Of the 22 species of albatross, 15 are threatened with extinction, with fishing bycatch identified as a key risk factor for the majority of species. And 11 of the 13 critically endangered cetacean (ocean mammal) populations are declining due to bycatch in gill nets.

Although many view line-caught tuna as a sustainable option, the report found that the long lines used to catch tuna in the Indian Ocean put albatrosses at risk of becoming bycatch. Sharks are also frequently hooked on these lines and left to die. The fisheries used by Asda currently use squid to catch their tuna, which puts turtles at risk as they are attracted to that bait.

The report recommended that supermarkets pressure their fisheries to switch their bait from squid to fish.

Cod and haddock from the North Atlantic off Iceland and Norway are often lauded as good choices for those conscious of the plight of the oceans because there are currently plentiful fish stocks. But the study found that the gill net fisheries use for these catches snare 3,100 to 3,400 seabirds a year, including rare albatrosses.

They were also found to ensnare marine mammals. Harbour porpoises are the most common marine mammal bycatch in the Norwegian fishery.

The cod fishery also catches harp seals, harbour seals, and ringed seals. Humpback whales have been recorded with scarring linked to entanglements in gill nets in Icelandic waters.

Rory Crawford, bycatch programme manager at Rspb/birdlife International,

said: “We all want to know more about the food we eat so we can make the best decision that represents our values. This study shows that there is still much work to be done to tackle the capture of seabirds in fisheries – whether that’s albatrosses soaring over distant oceans or guillemots and fulmars plunging into uncertain seas closer to home.

“Happily, there are solutions to this problem that can be implemented at minimal cost. Our hope is that this study results in better uptake of solutions and improved monitoring of fisheries, so the more retailers that participate in a similar process, the greater the potential impact.”

The report recommended that all retailers systematically assess their seafood supply chains for risks to bycatch species, and require suppliers to deliver changes in the fisheries that pose the greatest threat, or stop using them.

These changes could include changing fishing equipment or techniques and avoiding certain baits.