Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

John West pledges to phase out fish aggregating devices used by its Pacific tuna fleet

Posted at 06:58 on 04 December, 2012 UTC

Greenpeace has praised Australian fish cannery, John West, for pledging to eliminate the use of fish aggregating devices, and has called on New Zealand company, Sealord, to do the same.

The NGO says the fish aggregating devices needlessly kill sharks, rays, baby tuna and turtles.

John West, which is Australia’s largest tuna brand, says it will phase out the FADs, used by its tuna purse seiners, by 2015.

Greenpeace says this means 3 of the five major tuna brands sold in New Zealand have responded to its call to end destructive tuna fishing.

But it says Sealord, New Zealand’s largest canned tuna brand, is refusing to take the same steps.

The announcement has come during the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission meeting in Manila where extending FAD bans in purse seine fisheries is a key issue up for discussion.