Did you say Fair Trade tuna? Yes, in Safeway!

Go ahead! Do a double take. Yes, you can now buy Fair Trade certified yellowfin tuna in over 1200 Safeway stores, including its sister banners Vons, Pavilions, and Acme. This is the world’s first Fair Trade fish and Safeway has been carrying this product in Northern California, Portland and Seattle since March 2015. The volume of available product has been growing which means that the number of fishermen and fishing communities benefiting from the Fair Trade program has also been growing. Current estimates show that approximately $30,000 derived from sale premiums has been directed back towards investment in local healthcare and infrastructure projects.

Many people are familiar with the Fair Trade label on coffee, chocolate, and bananas but Fair Trade fish? In an effort to support small-scale fishermen and their communities with similar benefits experienced by many coffee and banana farmers, Fair Trade USA expanded its model by creating the Capture Fisheries Program in 2014. This program requires improvement to be made over time in social, economic, and environmental conditions. Fisheries managers will also benefit from the catch data collected from these fisheries to help inform science-based management decisions.

It is also worth noting that the Fair Trade tuna is Yellow rated according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program. It is sourced from single-hook handline yellowfin fisheries in Maluku Island chain of Indonesia. Equally exciting are the strong traceability and social conditions requirements that come along with this product. As more stories about human right abuses in the seafood supply chains are uncovered the success story of Fair Trade tuna gives us hope!

FishWise has partnered with Safeway since 2010 on its Responsible Seafood program and is very proud that Safeway is the first to carry Fair Trade certified fish. This product represents Safeway and FishWise’s commitment to improve sourcing and provide seafood that is not only environmentally responsible but also traceable and socially just.

Head on over to Safeway and celebrate the taste of your responsible choice in Fair Trade tuna. And don’t forget to join the promotional contest on social media; take a photo of the Fair Trade tuna and post it on social media using the hashtag #FairSeafood for a chance to win a $50 gift card at participating Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, and Acme stores.