MSC-certified tuna – Misryoum reports Australia’s major retailers have moved home-brand tuna to MSC-certified sourcing, turning sustainability into the default.
A sustainability shift is reshaping a staple of Australian pantry shelves: more and more canned tuna sold in the country is now certified under the MSC standard.
Misryoum reports that close to 70% of canned tuna in Australia is MSC-certified. as Coles. Woolworths. and ALDI moved their home-brand ranges to sourcing 100% from MSC-certified fisheries.. The change comes alongside a rapid expansion in MSC-labelled products appearing in stores. reflecting how quickly sourcing commitments can reshape what shoppers see at checkout.
In practice, that means consumers are increasingly choosing from tuna products carrying the well-known MSC label, rather than having to search for it. The broader takeaway is that supply-chain requirements, once treated as niche, are becoming mainstream in one of the most common grocery categories.
The momentum has been noticeable over a short period.. Misryoum notes that the number of MSC-labelled tuna products in Australian retail rose from 128 in 2025 to more than 220 in 2026.. At the global level. Australia has also grown in importance as a market for MSC-labelled tuna. with year-on-year expansion tied to rising customer demand and retailer alignment.
One reason this matters is that canned tuna depends on international fishing and processing networks. When large retailers set certification expectations, they can influence which fishing operations are eligible to supply tuna into major markets.
Meanwhile, globally, more than half of tuna caught is now MSC-certified, according to Misryoum.. For Australia. where tuna is widely eaten. the scale of the change is especially significant: with hundreds of millions of tuna servings consumed each year. even incremental shifts in sourcing standards can add up quickly.
Retailers are not acting alone.. Misryoum also highlights that smaller. Australia-owned tuna brands offering locally sourced options are present in the category. while much of the supply remains imported.. In this context. supermarket decisions can reverberate far beyond national borders. affecting how tuna resources are managed in the world’s key fishing regions.
Misryoum underscores that progress does not end with certification switching alone.. Further expansion of MSC-labelled supply would deepen the impact for ocean health by reinforcing consistent sustainability criteria across more of the market.. The question for the next phase is whether this “new default” can be sustained and broadened as shoppers keep buying tuna by habit rather than by choice.