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Some of the world’s biggest tuna processing companies have agreed to participate in the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation’s new mandate, requiring them to certify that their catches are taken from non-endangered stocks.  As someone who loves a delicious tuna melt, but worries about depleting tuna populations due to overfishing, I’m thrilled to hear the major companies are taking a huge step towards providing sustainable seafood.

The participating processors, including Bumble Bee, Starkist and Chicken of the Sea, will be required to abide by comprehensive restrictions and documentation, which according to TreeHugger includes:

the name and flag of catcher and transshipping vessels, fish species, ocean of capture corresponding to tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) area, fishing trip dates, fishing gear employed, date the company took ownership of the fish and each species by weight.

The goal of the ISSF’s mandate is to ensure processors are held accountable for maintaining healthy stocks, and to prevent illegal or pirate fishing by tracing the fish from catch to plate.  The agreement should hopefully help to prevent tuna populations from completely collapsing, which some studies have warned could happen in a matter of a few decades if overfishing is not curbed.  Of course, the mandate is only one part of the equation, and other programs must be employed to protect the marine ecosystem.  Additionally, we as consumers need to educate ourselves on which fish are endangered and which are caught using sustainable methods, so that we can better choices for the planet by making better choices for dinner.