Chicken of the Sea says its entire tuna portfolio is now certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), marking a first for a major US seafood brand and signaling a broader shift in how sustainability is positioned in the category.
In tuna – one of the world’s most consumed fish and a category long associated with overfishing concerns – sustainability labels have historically functioned as premium differentiators, but Chicken of the Sea is betting they can instead become a baseline expectation.
Creating another differentiator in the category
MSC certification addresses overfishing by setting standards around sustainable stock levels, minimizing environmental impact and ensuring fisheries are meaningfully managed.
For Chicken of the Sea, applying MSC’s standard across its full tuna portfolio, becomes an added differentiator in a category where many brands highlight sustainability more selectively across certain SKUs, according to Andy Mecs, president, Chicken of the Sea International.
Positioning sustainability as operational priority
Chicken of the Sea’s MSC accreditation traces back to parent company Thai Union’s SeaChange 2030 initiative, a company-wide sustainability strategy backed by roughly $200 million through 2030.
The program, which launched in 2016, spans 11 commitments across labor, climate and responsible sourcing, and positions sustainability as a long-term operational priority. For tuna specifically, Thai Union has invested in fishery improvement projects to qualify for MSC’s certification, according to Mecs. Thai Union says those certified fisheries now represent about 10% of global tuna catches.
Can the cost of sustainability be comparable?
Sustainable seafood has historically commanded a premium, which can limit its reach to higher-income consumers or specialty channels.
However, Chicken of the Sea is riding a middle path. Its MSC-certified tuna retails around $2.50 per can, which is higher than non-certified competitors like Starkist at $1.27 per can, but still well below premium certified offerings such as Sea Tales’ solid white albacore in olive oil, which retails at around $5.69 per can.
The brand’s strategy suggests a broader goal: Making certified tuna the default rather than a premium trade-up.
Are certifications worth it?
As third-party labels proliferate across wild-caught seafood and aquaculture, some industry stakeholders question whether all certifications are created equal.
Concerns range from potential conflicts of interest, where certifiers are funded by the industries they assess, to whether standards are rigorous enough to meaningfully protect marine ecosystems.
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), for example, says its standards for feed and seafood farms aims to push the sector towards more responsible production. Yet critics, including groups like the Aquaculture Accountability Project, argue that some certified operations may still contribute to environmental harm, particularly in open-water systems that can impact surrounding wildlife.
The result is a tension between the promise of certification and the reality of enforcement, with some arguing that labels are greenwashing if standards are not consistently upheld.
For consumers, that growing patchwork of certifications across the food industry can create confusion. Labels are meant to simplify purchasing decisions, but an influx of competing standards, each with its own criteria and claims, can make it harder to distinguish between purposeful sustainability efforts and marketing.
