Princes hits 100% MSC target, redefining UK’s ambient tuna aisle

International food and drink supplier Princes Group has officially met its 2025 pledge to source 100% of its branded tuna from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified fisheries, a move that brings 70 million cans of sustainable seafood to market annually.

The milestone is the result of a ten-year fishery improvement strategy aimed at transforming complex global supply chains into transparent, traceable networks.

By hitting this target, Princes has become a primary architect of the UK’s shifting seafood landscape, contributing to a fifteen-fold increase in MSC-certified ambient tuna on British shelves — rising from 2,461 tonnes in 2020 to over 37,027 tonnes this year.

For the wider trade, Princes’ achievement demonstrates that large-scale sustainability is no longer an “optional extra” but an operational necessity. The group’s decision to pivot its mackerel sourcing from the Northeast Atlantic to Chilean fisheries last October — due to poor stock health — signals a new era of “active procurement.” Manufacturers are increasingly expected to cut ties with traditional regions if they fail to meet rigorous MSC Standards, prioritising long-term resource resilience over short-term supply convenience.

The move directly addresses the “conscious consumerism” trend, where the MSC blue ecolabel serves as a critical point of difference in the competitive ambient aisle. As retailers tighten their own ESG (environmental, social, and governance) requirements, having a 100% certified branded offering ensures Princes remains a “category captain” in both retail and foodservice channels, where transparency is now a prerequisite for listing.

“This commitment is the culmination of a 10-year journey… Reaching 100% MSC-certified tuna demonstrates the progress we have made alongside our partners and reinforces our belief that the MSC Standard is critical in driving progress in sustainable fishing,” says David McDiarmid, corporate relations director at Princes Group.

George Clark, programme director at MSC UK & Ireland, added: “This ambitious and proactive industry action plays a vital role in driving real, positive impact in store and in our seas. By ensuring more certified sustainable tuna is available than ever before, Princes is helping to reward sustainable fishing practices.”