Fish is a great food source for the human race. But at present there is too much overfishing and bad fishing going on. Healthy oceans are a vital part of the life on earth and the degradation of the seas is something we need to come together on to keep them healthy and living and well stocked.

I have just signed up to the Greenpeace campaign to change the tuna fishing practice of Princes

Email to PRINCES

Change your tuna: stop killing turtles and sharks in your nets

As one of the biggest suppliers of tinned tuna in the UK, it shocks me to learn that Princes has come bottom of Greenpeace’s tinned tuna league table. It is indefensible that your fishing methods lead to the indiscriminate catching of endangered turtles, sharks, rays and other fish, including young tuna.

I am also alarmed that after two years, Princes has not come forward with a more robust policy to clean up its seafood sourcing. Worse still, your recent decision to change your labelling to remove your central claim that you “protect marine life” is simply an admission that your corporate practices are endangering marine life and the marine environment.

If Princes want to be considered a responsible company, I urge you to stop using fish aggregating devices (Fads) with purse seine nets. This would dramatically reduce the amount of bycatch. Other companies in the tinned tuna sector, such as Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose, are now selling 100 per cent pole and line caught tuna in their own-brand ranges.

With Tesco’s announcement that it plans to do the same by the end of 2012, Princes is becoming increasingly isolated on this issue.

I also ask you to label your tins with the tuna’s point of origin and the catch method used. I understand you have agreed to include tuna species on your labels at some point in 2011, but you still need to do much more.

I look forward to hearing what steps Princes have taken to allow customers to eat tuna without destroying other marine life.

Please note the last Tuna we purchased was in fact Princes and we have a stack of 4 tins to eat. Now that I am aware of your fishing policy, if it is not improved this will also be the last time we purchase Princes products and will be swapping to another companies products.

Paul Crossley

See this link for a blow by blow rebuttal from Greanpeace to the usual Princes response. We have been reducing our meat and fish consumption and also try to buy selectively. Princes has now joined the list of companies whose food is not purchased until they have changed their fishing practice.