Traceability of canned tuna is a crucial element in the fight against illegal, untracked and unregulated fishing (IUU, Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing). And it is essential to extend the mandatory indication of origin and method of fishing to all canned fish.
Pressure from IUUWatch - the coalition of NGOs The Environmental Justice Foundation, Oceana, the Pew Charitable Trusts and WWF - on the European legislator.
Traceability of canned tuna on the EU agenda
The European legislator is called to decide, this year, whether to improve the quality of the information offered to the consumer regarding the sustainability of fish products. (1)
IUU Watch He first turns to Annick Girardin, Minister of the Sea in France since 7 months ago, to put pressure on the Council of Member States.
IUUWatch, letter to Minister Girardin
Madam Minister,
I would like to contact you to express my concern about the discussions that will take place next May on the traceability of processed fish products during the Council negotiations on fisheries control. As a responsible French consumer, I ask you to respect my choice of consume sustainable seafood products deciding in favor of the traceability of all fish products, including processed products.
Traceability of fish is an essential tool to know what fish we are consuming, where it comes from, who caught it and how it was caught. Without it, it is difficult for us to make conscious choices of sustainable consumption. However, some are not in favor of the traceability of processed seafood, such as canned tuna. If these products continue to be excluded from an adequate traceability system, the EU will keep the door open to trade in products of dubious origin and deprive us of our power to make responsible purchasing decisions.
I ask you to intervene on this issue in order to ensure that French consumers have the right to know the origin of fish products they consume and that they can be sure that these products are not related to illegal fishing practices.
Please accept, Madam Minister, the assurance of my highest consideration. (2)
Why traceability
The traceability of tuna is the first tool for safeguarding the stock marine fish, increasingly plundered. In fact, it allows you to know with certainty where the fish comes from and how it was caught. The premise for a responsible consumption choice.
A system well-conceived traceability system 'photographs' the product along each step in the production chain. From the origin (in this case the sea) to the point of sale.
Canned tuna and fish preserves, partial news
The canned tuna and canned fish in general are not subject to the labeling rules established for fresh and defrosted fish products. (3) The EEC regulation 1536/92 prescribes the obligation to provide only the following information on tuna cans or jars:
- name of the food,
- indication of the preserving liquid: olive oil, vegetable oil, natural (water solution, with or without salt, with or without the addition of herbs, spices or natural flavorings),
- method of presentation (whole tuna, tuna in pieces, tuna fillets) or other parts of fish,
- percentage of tuna in the package (70% minimum for natural tuna, 65% minimum for other liquids).
Basic information on the label
The mandatory information basic, on the label, are those provided for by reg. EU 1169/11 for all prepacked foods:
- name of the food
- list of ingredients
- net weight
- weight of the drained product (4)
- date by which to preferably consume the product (TMC, Minimum Storage Term)
- name (or company name) and address of the responsible operator
- identification mark (which identifies the country and production plant)
- lot to which the product belongs.
Optional information
Further information they are allowed on the label, as long as they are not misleading or misleading towards consumers. The big brands - after decades of omissions - now refer to the origin and species of canned tuna. Often with reference to 'sustainable' fishing systems.
Make it mandatory even this information and equating the label of canned tuna with fresh fish, guaranteeing full traceability, is the only way to allow consumers to choose what to eat, underlines IUUWatch.
The survey the market carried out by us then offers further insights into the sustainability and other values of the most popular canned tuna in Italy. (5)
Marta Strinati and Dario Dongo
Footnotes
(1) See Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending regulations (EC) no. 1224/2009, (EC) no. 768/2005, (EC) n. 1967/2006 and (EC) no. 1005/2008 of the Council and Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards controls in the fisheries sector https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/IT/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52018PC0368
(2) V. http://www.iuuwatch.eu/ca-vous-suffit/
(3) Labels for fish products and bottarga? The lawyer Dario Dongo answers. DO (Food and Agriculture Requirements). 27.11.17/XNUMX/XNUMX, https://www.foodagriculturerequirements.com/archivio-notizie/domande-e-risposte/etichette-prodotti-ittici-e-bottarga-risponde-l-avvocato-dario-dongo
(4) Nominal quantity, net weight, drained weight, replies the lawyer. Dario Dongo. DO (Food and Agriculture Requirements). 20.1.17/XNUMX/XNUMX, https://www.foodagriculturerequirements.com/archivio-notizie/domande-e-risposte/quantità-nominale-peso-netto-peso-sgocciolato-risponde-l-avv-dario-dongo
(5) Marta Strinati. Canned tuna, pirates and mysteries. GIFTS (Great Italian Food Trade). 9.5.18/XNUMX/XNUMX, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/consum-attori/tonno-in-scatola-pirati-e-misteri
A professional journalist since January 1995, she has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic studies on food and has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
