Australian brands and retailers have achieved a significant sustainability milestone, with approximately 70% of canned tuna now sourced and labelled from independently MSC-certified sustainable fisheries. 

With an estimated 336 million servings consumed each year, tuna is a staple in most Australian households, according to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), making this shift one of the most consequential changes in Australia’s grocery sector in recent years. 

Sparked by Coles’ 2024 announcement to commit to 100% MSC sourced canned tuna, all three major retailers, Coles, Woolworths, and ALDI, now exclusively offer MSC-certified homebrand tuna. 

MSC Program Director Anne Gabriel says what we have witnessed in Australia is a genuine market transformation. 

“Australia’s major retailers now offer only 100% MSC-certified home brand tuna, making sustainable canned tuna the new default for millions of households,” she says.

“Australia is one of the very few markets globally where this kind of industry-wide alignment has happened at this pace and scale.”  

Scott Wing, Senior Manager – Sustainability at Woolworths Group, saya the transition gives customers confidence in sustainable tuna choices. 

“We aim to make sustainable choices accessible and affordable for all our customers,” he says.

“By transitioning our Own Brand canned tuna ranges to fisheries certified to the MSC standard, we’re giving Australian families confidence that they are purchasing a great value product that has been sourced sustainably. Our long-standing partnership with the MSC helps us deliver on this promise.” 

Ms Gabriel hopes to see even more of the market move towards MSC certification, stating that greater collective commitment means greater impact for the ocean. 

“For consumers, this shift means sustainable tuna is now the norm, not the exception, on supermarket shelves,” she says.