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Sainsbury’s tell us to “Taste The Difference” – now people are telling them to #StopTheIndifference

Posted by Fiona Nicholls - 15th July 2016


If you’ve visited Sainsbury’s during the last week, you may have noticed something a little different in the tuna aisle…

This week hundreds are taking Sainsbury’s to task for continuing to stock John West tuna. People up and down Britain have been decorating the supermarket’s John West shelves with “promotional tags” of sharks and turtles, alongside information about the harm to marine life caused by John West’s destructive fishing practices.

Sainsbury’s like to tell us to “Taste The Difference” – now people are telling them to #StopTheIndifference.

Unlike Tesco and Waitrose, who have already told John West they’ll be off the shelves unless they clean up their act, Sainsbury’s have so far refused to budge. They’ve even ignored tens of thousands of emails and phone calls from their customers.

So why are people doing this?

Well, firstly it’s letting other Sainsbury’s customers know about these issues, empowering them to make an informed decision when buying tuna. Secondly, it’s to let Sainsbury’s know that we’re not going away. Every time John West’s tuna is rebranded in their stores, it sends a message up the management chain from the shop floor to Sainsbury’s HQ – and we know they’re hearing us loud and clear.

The weird thing is, Sainsbury’s has a good track record on sustainable tuna. That’s why Greenpeace has previously ranked them highly in our Tuna League Tables. So why won’t they take this step, like Tesco and Waitrose, and call on John West to clean up or be dropped from the shelves? If others can do it, so can Sainsbury’s.

It’s no good retailers like Sainsbury’s offering sustainable tuna in their own brand products if the John West tins sitting next to them cause harm to marine life including sharks and even turtles.

It’s inspiring to see so many people taking action to protect marine life. Together, we can tell Sainsbury’s that we won’t let this slide, that we expect them to live up to their own sustainability standards, and that they should tell John West to do the same.

If you spot a ‘customised’ John West tuna display at your local Sainsbury’s, let us know! On social media, tag GreenpeaceUK and Sainsbury’s, and use the hashtag #StopTheIndifference. You can also email us on: tuna.uk@greenpeace.org


Article Tagged as: Featured, Tuna, tuna


About Fiona Nicholls

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Twitter: @fifinicholls Instagram: @fifinicholls35mm