For 10 years, the John West and WWF-Australia partnership has been a catalyst to drive change and promote sustainable fishing practices around the globe.
During Sustainable Seafood Week, John West and WWF-Australia are taking the opportunity to celebrate their 10-year partnership and raise awareness about the importance of championing action to protect fish and marine life. Working together, this partnership has made a difference in how seafood is sourced and made available to consumers. John West and WWF-Australia will continue to raise awareness about the need to protect all marine life and ensure that the seafood on supermarket shelves has been caught and processed responsibly.
“This partnership has changed sustainability in the canned tuna industry in Australia over the past decade. John West was one of the first companies to adopt the best standards in seafood sustainability and has helped ensure that Australian shoppers now have more opportunities than ever to choose responsibly sourced seafood at the supermarket,” said Dermot O’Gorman, CEO, WWF-Australia.
“We’re proud of all that we’ve achieved together to safeguard our oceans in the past 10 years, and we look forward to continuing to co-design innovative solutions into the future.”
Graham Dugdale, Managing Director Simplot Australia, says, “WWF is a leading voice for nature. WWF has guided Simplot’s John West brand on adopting the best standards in responsibly sourced seafood, including the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification and labelling scheme.”
John West Australia was the first brand in the world to secure 100% of Skipjack Tuna MSC certified. Since then, more than 80 million cans of John West MSC tuna have been consumed by Australians each year.
Mr Dugdale also added, “While providing consumers with responsibly sourced seafood is paramount to our business, we are also extremely proud of how this partnership has enabled us to give back to the communities in which we operate.”
The company has contributed over $1 million to WWF-Australia conservation projects to help protect the oceans and fish species. WWF-Australia, the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) and John West Australia are supporting innovative, community-led approaches to sustainable fisheries management. In the Solomon Islands Western Province and Madang in Papua New Guinea, John West supports community‑based fishing and microfinancing initiatives. The project aims to protect over-exploited reef ecosystems, create food security, boost local economies, and support local women’s business opportunities. Learn more here
With a growing world population, we must protect the future of seafood for people and the planet. WWF-Australia and John West are committed to their ongoing partnership and safeguarding oceans for generations to come.
Media inquiries:
Simplot Australia
Carolyn Steere
Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs
carolyn.steere@simplot.com
WWF-Australia
Simplot Australia
Paul Fahy
Media Relations Manager
pfahy@wwf.org.au
About Simplot Australia
Simplot Australia is a food manufacturing and agriculture business that encompasses vegetable and seafood operations that supply chilled, frozen and shelf-stable products to Australia’s major retail and foodservice markets. It is home to Australia’s favourite food brands, including John West, Leggo’s, Birds Eye, Edgell, and Chiko. For more information visit: www.simplot.com.au
About WWF-Australia
WWF is Australia’s most reputable* environmental organisation and part of the world’s largest conservation network. WWF-Australia has been working to create a world where people live in harmony with nature since 1978. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.
*Charity Reptrak 2019
