PH tuna firm joins conservation group

Screengrab from www.centurypacific.com.ph

The country’s leading canned food manufacturer Century Pacific Food Inc. (CNPF) has become the first Philippine company to join a US-based global coalition to improve fishery management, research and development and promote responsible finishing under the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF).

In a statement, CNPF said it had joined the ISSF through wholly owned subsidiary General Tuna Corp.

“We support initiatives to ensure the conservation of our seafood resources and will work closely with the ISSF to ensure the sustainability of tuna supply and the protection of its ecosystem,” CNPF vice president Teddy Kho said.

The company was admitted to ISSF after completing an audit that demonstrated its compliance with the conservation measures espoused by the organization, which is headquartered in Washington D.C. These measures included restrictions on purchases from illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing alongside credible tracing of tuna from capture to plate.

All member companies are subject to ongoing inspection to ensure continued compliance.

ISSF, which was set up in 2009, is a coalition of leading scientists, the tuna industry and the World Wildlife Fund. The group promotes science-based initiatives for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks and the promotion of ecosystem health.

Today, ISSF industry partners comprise nearly 75 percent of the world’s canned tuna-processing capacity. Its roster of members includes leading global brands Bumbleebee, Starkist and Chicken of the Sea.

For its part, CNPF has an 88-percent market share of canned tuna products in the Philippines under leading brands Century Tuna, 555, Blue Bay and Fresca. It is also one of the biggest providers of private label tuna products to food manufacturers globally. Doris C. Dumlao