Tuna Transparency Pledge

Industrial fishing occurs on more than half of the ocean’s surface—more than three times the area covered by land-based agriculture. Three billion people worldwide rely on seafood as a significant source of protein. As demand for these products increases to meet the needs of nearly 10 billion people over the next 30 years, so too does the pressure placed on critical marine ecosystems and the species that depend on them. Already, 90% of global fisheries have reached their maximum sustainable levels.

Tuna ranks as one of the most prized and popular fish in the world with five million tons of fish produced annually and a dockside value of $10 billion USD. One of the biggest obstacles to sustainably managing global tuna fisheries, protecting ocean wildlife, and delivering tuna products that inspire consumer confidence is lack of on-the-water monitoring and data. Often, fisheries authorities and supply chain actors do not have the data needed to ensure that the vessels they source from are complying with fishing regulations and social standards.

Many technological advances have enabled fishery managers to better understand what is happening at sea, but without independent monitoring on vessels to verify catch activity, it is difficult to identify when illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activity is occurring within the first mile of the supply chain. Companies that are unable to verify compliance with environmental and social standards risk losing business, in addition to creating operational and business risks throughout the supply chain.

Having eyes on the water allows markets to have confidence that industrial tuna fishing activities were sourced legally and sustainably. In addition, on-the-water monitoring helps to level the playing field for the many law abiding fishers around the globe.

Through the Tuna Transparency Pledge, TNC aims to unite key players across the seafood supply chain—including companies and governments—to help accelerate the adoption of on-the-water monitoring. Electronic monitoring—the use of onboard video cameras, GPS, and sensors to monitor and verify fishing activities—and human observers can strengthen transparency and provide critical data needed for the sustainable management of tuna and other ocean species.

Signatories

Since its launch in April 2024, the Tuna Transparency Pledge has grown significantly to include major retailers, suppliers, and food service companies across North America and Europe, as well as governments. Signatories include Walmart, Thai Union, Carrefour, Albertsons Companies, Aramark, Culimer USA, Lusamerica Foods, Pacific Island Tuna, Association of Large Freezer Tuna Vessels (AGAC), the Government of Belize, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

Join the Pledge 

The Tuna Transparency Pledge was developed by TNC in consultancy with other leading NGOs, retailers, and seafood experts. TNC works in collaboration with signatories and their NGO partners to track progress and support their rollout and verification procedures.

Retailers, seafood suppliers, and governments can get involved in this initiative by signing onto the Tuna Transparency Pledge and demonstrating leadership toward the industry's future of 100 percent on-the-water monitoring on all industrial tuna fishing vessels. Major retailers, food service, and hospitality sectors, together with tuna suppliers, processors and distributors, can use their purchasing power to drive innovation and transparency in their supply chains so that customers can confidently buy tuna products that were harvested sustainably and legally. By advocating for the adoption of robust on-the-water monitoring through the Tuna Transparency Pledge, industry leaders can help guarantee a long-term and sustainable seafood supply for the market.