McDonald's tuna salad. (Photo Credit: McDonald's Spain)
McDonald's Spain supports tuna sustainability
SPAIN
Thursday, November 26, 2015, 03:00 (GMT + 9)
Marketing and sales organization Pacifical has welcomed the decision taken by McDonald's Spain to include its Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified skipjack tuna on its national menu as part of the chain’s global commitment to sustainable fishing practices.
Representatives of the Spanish branch announced that by January 2016, more than 490 restaurants will be offering MSC certified tuna in their "Tuna Mediterranean Salad".
"At McDonald's we have a goal to source all of our food and packaging from sustainable sources. As part of this, since 2013 all the white fish we serve in our restaurants globally in our Filet-o-fish sandwiches is sourced from MSC certified fisheries,” pointed out Ignacio Blanco-Traba, Director of Sustainable Sourcing at McDonald's Corporation.
The director explained that the chain’s MSC certified tuna supplier is Frinsa del Noroeste, a leading European tuna processor located in Spain, who, in turn, purchases the resource from Pacifical.
He added that McDonald's MSC certified skipjack tuna is being caught in the waters of PNA nations in the Western Central Pacific Ocean and is cooked and cleaned in a local Pacific-based processing facility, generating work and income to over one thousand local families.
The product is later transported to Spain, the largest fish processing nation in Europe, to be packed and delivered to McDonald's.
"We congratulate McDonald's for highlighting the importance of sustainable catching methods and taking a leading step within the fast food industry," stated Henk Brus, Managing Director of Pacifical.
"In accordance with our sustainability policy, Frinsa favors the acquisition of tuna catches caught by environmentally friendly fishing methods, reducing bycatch of untargeted species and negative impacts on the overall ocean ecosystem", stated Jose Aller, Frinsa's Head of Sustainability.
"One of our principles is to guarantee the total traceability and chain of custody, from sea to plate," he added.
For her part, Laura Rodríguez Zugasti, Program Director of Marine Stewardship Council in Spain and Portugal, pointed out: "In 2011 McDonald's became a game changer in the white fish sector, with the announcement to source exclusively from fisheries that have met the rigorous MSC standard for environmental sustainability.”
“This new commitment by McDonald's Spain to introduce MSC certified tuna, is a strong positive signal for tuna fisheries that are working towards sustainability and recognition of the top performance of the PNA nations. I am delighted that millions of Iberian consumers will be able to enjoy McDonald's salads with one of their favorite fish species, knowing that they are making a responsible choice," she concluded.
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