5 simple ways to get dodgy tuna off Tesco shelves

We’re getting closer to victory.

Just a few days ago, Tesco was hit by a massive outcry over dodgy tuna. An incredible 60,000 people called on them to remove Oriental and Pacific, a cut-price tinned tuna fished with destructive methods, killing sharks, turtles and rays (some of which are endangered) alongside the tuna.

This all came about as Tesco were sharply criticised on Hugh’s Fish Fight on Channel 4, and in our brand new 2014 tuna league table, which showed how Tesco and Oriental and Pacific are at the bottom of the heap.

It’s clear that Tesco are feeling the pressure. Within one day, they publicly stated they were going to “insist” that other brands use 100% pole and line caught tuna in their tins.



This is an excellent result. But without knowing when they’ll “insist” that Oriental and Pacific go 100% pole and line, and whether Tesco will keep it on their shelves until they get a firm commitment, it remains an empty statement.

Now we need to make sure Tesco follow through with the pledge, and get solid commitments on paper. Tesco shouldn’t sell Oriental and Pacific unless the tuna in these tins is no longer caught with destructive fishing methods (bigs nets with Fish Aggregation Devices).

We’re close to winning this - here’s five things we all need to do to get this done:

1. Phone Tesco customer services on 0800 505 555 to make a complaint about Oriental & Pacific and demand they take it off their shelves.  And don’t be fooled by Tesco-speak - check out this guide to their canned answers.

2. Sign and share the petition calling on Tesco to remove dodgy Oriental & Pacific tuna from their shelves.

3. If you have a tin of Oriental & Pacific at home, take it back to a Tesco store and demand a refund. We’ve seen this happening around the country and the message is starting to get through. Add to the pressure by tweeting about it too!
 
4. Make a complaint directly to the manufacturer of Oriental & Pacific tuna on 01480 424000. We want them to commit to using only sustainable tuna in their tins by the end of the year.
 
5. Keep pressuring Tesco on Twitter. Tesco have a huge social media team and send out hundreds of messages every hour. We may not have their resources but we do have the facts on our side. Challenging Tesco’s canned responses is not just easy, it’s fun too!

There’s no place anymore for dodgy tuna on supermarket shelves – let’s make this a reality once and for all!