Responsibly Sourced Fish and Seafood at ALDI
We are passionate about seafood and providing our customers with as much information about our products as possible. Since 2021, all private label ALDI products in our seafood range are responsibly sourced. We work closely with non-government industry bodies such as the Marine Stewardship Council and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, and together we are ensuring that our products meet standards for sustainable fishing within the seafood supply chain. Find out how we are continuously improving the traceability and transparency of products across our fish and seafood range below.
Our seafood is responsibly sourced
We are proud to say that our entire canned tuna range is sourced responsibly. What does that mean exactly? Well, products can be considered responsibly sourced if they are either:
- Certified sustainable by certification bodies such as Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) or Global G.A.P.
- Sourced from a healthy fish population as assessed by Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP).
- Sourced from a fishery or farm that is participating in a fishery or aquaculture improvement project.
ALDI reels in the big fish at the ASC Sustainable Seafood Awards
- ASC Best Responsible Seafood Retailer
- ASC Aquaculture Champion
ALDI Australia is this year’s recipient of two important sustainable seafood awards, having received ASC’s Best Responsible Seafood Supermarket and ASC’s Aquaculture Champion for 2024 at the MSC and ASC Sustainable Seafood Awards.
These awards recognise people and organisations that work to help MSC and ASC’s mission to advance responsible fish farming and sustainable fishing practices. ALDI aims to ensure every Australian can access sustainable seafood options at affordable prices, and these awards are further proof that ALDI’s great prices do not come at the expense of quality and sustainability initiatives.
“It’s fantastic to receive recognition from the Aquaculture Stewardship Council for our responsible fish and seafood sourcing. To be awarded the Best Retailer award as well as the Aquaculture Champion award reflects the effort and dedication of our team towards making a good difference throughout our entire supply chain while also providing the highest quality products to our customers,” says Daniel Baker, ALDI’s National Sustainability Director.
“All of ALDI’s exclusive label products in our seafood range are responsibly sourced and we are delighted to continue our work closely with industry bodies to ensure our products meet standards for sustainable fishing. Every customer that walks through ALDI’s doors can be rest assured that by saving money at the checkout on ALDI’s high quality products that they can ultimately also make a good difference for both people and the planet simultaneously,” Mr Baker concluded.
ALDI received the ASC Best Retailer awarded based on a comprehensive sustainable sourcing policy, ASC labelled portfolio and the continued support and promotion of ASC messaging. The ASC Aquaculture Champion recognises ALDI for our wide range of everyday affordable and accessible ASC-labelled products and continued commitment to ocean health.
This announcement comes as Sustainable Seafood Week kicks off in Australia this week. During 18-22 March 2024, customers can help make a Good Difference by purchasing seafood with the green ASC, blue MSC or ALDI’s Responsibly Sourced labels available across a selection of fresh, frozen, and canned products in store. This supports the MSC and ASC’s mission to ensure we have fish forever through responsible fish farming and sustainable fishing practices.
ALDI also won this year's MSC Highly Commended Best Sustainable Seafood Product Award (for ALDI’s Ocean Rise Smoked Sardine Sprats)
ALDI is working with the Marine Stewardship Council
We work closely with a variety of industry bodies, including the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The Marine Stewardship Council is an international non-profit organisation, on a mission to end overfishing. The organisation sets standards for sustainable fishing and assurance within the seafood supply chain. We are proud to say that ALDI has Australia’s largest range of MSC certified, own-label fish and seafood products.
In addition to the numerous awards won at the Sustainable Seafood Awards Australia 2023, ALDI also won took home MSC awards in 2020 and 2022 for its responsible sourcing practices. For more information on last year's win, read more here.
ALDI and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
We have a partnership with the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), an independent organisation that helps us measure the environmental impact of our fish and seafood range. Guided by recommendations made by the SFP, we engage with suppliers to improve fishing and farming practices in the supply chain.
ALDI is the first Australian retailer to voluntarily disclose seafood sourcing on SFP’s Ocean Disclosure Project (ODP). The ODP is a reporting framework dedicated to increasing transparency in global seafood supply chains. Our profile lists all the fisheries, catch methods and environmental impacts of our wild caught seafood. Knowing the origin of our seafood can help you make an informed decision at the supermarket. Check out our profile here.
Third Party Certifications
We work closely with third party certification schemes to improve the traceability of our products and support our responsible sourcing policies. Accepted third party certifications for our fish and seafood range include:
- Wild caught fish and seafood – Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Fishery Improvement Projects (FIP), Sustainable Fisheries Partnerships (SFP), well performing Fish Source profiles or other GSSI-recognised seafood certification.
- Farmed fish and seafood – Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), Best Aquatic Practices (BAP), Global G.A.P., organic or from an Aquaculture Improvement Project.
- Tuna – Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), supplier/processor is part of the International Seafood Sustainability Association (ISSA), the tuna vessel is registered with the ISSF Pro-active Vessel Register (PVR) or sourcing is from a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP). We also have a sourcing requirement that tuna is harvested through FAD-free or pole and line fishing methods.
ALDI is Committed to Transparency
Our customers can also find out where their tuna comes from by using the ‘Trace Your Tuna’ tool on our website. The tops of the cans are labelled with the catchment area. All our customers need to do is enter the ‘FAO’ number on this website to find out more information about where the fish was caught.
In addition, all of our fish and seafood products include labels that provide even more detail such as the scientific name, country of origin, area of fishery and production method. Look out for the ‘Responsibly Sourced’ logo next time you are shopping for fish and seafood.
4 tips for Making Sustainable Seafood Choices
Love seafood? Shopping for responsibly sourced fish is easy with ALDI. Here are a few tips to consider the next time you head in store.
1. Trace Your Tuna
Ever wondered where your tuna comes from? Not anymore! You can trace any tuna that you buy in ALDI, right here. Simply enter the FAO code found on the top of the can into the website to find out all about where your tuna was caught. For more information and to trace your own ALDI tuna can, read more here.
2.Opt for green-listed species
The Good Fish Sustainable Seafood Guide is a handy resource to know which seafood to buy that is kinder to the ocean. The colour-coded classification are based on in depth scientific assessments by the Australian Marine Conservation Society. Choosing a green-listed species means that you are eating a fish that is abundantly found and responsibly sourced.
3. Buy and cook a fish you may not recognise
One way to minimise the risk of overfishing is to choose a less popular species of fish for dinner. Many of us stick to what we know or what we have eaten since childhood. Take a chance and try a different type of fish that you may not have had before. For example, sardines are delicious when grilled on the barbecue.
4. Ask questions
Making an informed choice in the seafood aisle starts with asking a few simple questions. Was the fish caught or farmed? Is this species overfished? Where is it from? Our transparent labelling can answer many of these questions – take a look at the back of the packaging. If you see a ‘Responsibly Sourced’ logo, then you can be confident that you are purchasing sustainable seafood.
Sustainable Seafood Recipes
Here is a little recipe inspiration, however for more of our recipes head to our Recipe Hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does responsibly sourced fish mean?
Responsibly sourced means that the fish has been independently certified as responsibly fished or farm sourced, responsibly farmed or sourced from a fishery that is actively improving the conservation of fish populations.
What does sustainable seafood mean?
Sustainable seafood is where the fish is caught in a way that means there will be an abundance of that species in the ocean now and in the future. Both wild and caught fish are managed under a system of enforced environmentally responsible practices.
Is ALDI tuna sustainable?
All Skipjack and Yellowfin tuna we source complies with our Fish & Seafood Sourcing Policy available here. We also have a sourcing requirement that all tuna is harvested either through FAD-free or pole and line fishing methods
Our tuna is sustainable as it is responsibly sourced. We source skipjack tuna and yellowfin tuna and all tuna is caught using either the FAD-free or the pole and line catch methods.