Southeastern Grocers Supports Ethical Tuna Fishing

Southeastern Grocers LLC has introduced exclusive private label Fisherman’s Wharf pole-and-line canned albacore tuna sporting the IPNLF “Supporting Member” logo, marking its status as the first North American retail member of the International Pole & Line Foundation (IPNLF), a nonprofit association supporting small-scale fisheries that employ high-quality, responsible and ethical methods of catching tuna.

The product is now on the shelves in select locations of Southeastern’s Bi-Lo, Fresco y Más, Harveys and Winn-Dixie banners, retailing $2.49 a can.

“At Southeastern Grocers, we know how important it is to support sustainable fisheries, and we are very pleased to be the first North American retail member of the International Pole & Line Foundation," said Ian McLeod, president and CEO of the Jacksonville, Fla.-based company, which has become the 42nd member of the foundation.

“It is fantastic to have our first retail member in the U.S. market on board with our mission to see coastal tuna fishing communities thrive alongside healthy ocean ecosystems,” noted Adam Baske, director policy and outreach at London-based IPNLF. “We look forward to working with Southeastern Grocers to further demonstrate the value of sourcing from one-by-one tuna fisheries, and encourage other retailers in North America to join this collaborative effort.”

Membership in the foundation is open to all stakeholders involved in the one-by-one tuna supply chain, from fisheries associations to processors, foodservice and retailers.

The fifth-largest conventional supermarket in the U.S., Southeastern Grocers employs almost 60,000 associates in grocery stores, liquor stores and in-store pharmacies throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina.