By: Nicci

Nicci — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 23:53:58 +0000

I, too, love Costco (and Trader Joe’s). And I love tuna. LOVE it. It’s one of two seafoods I actually like at all- the other is salmon. And tuna only when it’s canned. But…. you cannot actually “Understand the tuna overfishing problem.” I know this, because if you did, there isn’t a chance you could bring yourself to buy 16 cans from Costco. I know this because since gleaning a *tiny* understanding of the REAL tuna overfishing “Problem” I haven’t been able to myself… And that absolutely kills me! I miss it… one of the truly healthy, affordable foods I love is gone, until a world wide agreement and compromise is found. And what’s more, if Costco– one of the world’s Largest wholesalers and a gigantic influence on fishing, farming and manufacturing policies– would change it’s ways, tuna wouldn’t have a problem. IF Costco demanded sustainable seafood, clear labeling of where and how it’s seafood was caught, safer and better (less plastic) packaging, Industry would follow suit and supply what was demanded. That goes for canned tuna. ( check out: http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/usa/press-center/reports4/taking-stock-of-tuna.pdf )
Not only are tuna overfished (estimates are 20,500 caught every 15min!), but the primary fishing practices of long-lining and purse seining catch hundreds of thousands of pounds of by-catch every year. We’re talking sharks, turtles, birds- anything and everything. Wasted. (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/content/media/MBA_SeafoodWatch_Longlining&PurseSeiningFactCards.pdf)
Now that I “understand,” I can’t bring myself to contribute to the problem. Not even when it’s affordable and I’m broke/poor (cause I am). There ARE alternatives- American Tuna ( http://www.americantuna.com ), for example- use sustainable fishing practices, which are transparent and traceable. It IS more expensive, but that’s the problem– there is a limited quantity of tuna and other large fishes! They aren’t chickens that we (somehow) mass produce every year. They live for decades, have huge migratory areas and are wild animals. And we’re catching and stuffing them into tiny cans sold by the millions (billions?) for $.82- 1.50 each at Costco and every grocery store on the planet. That’s not taking into account tuna steaks and Sushi, which is a whole other can of worms, so to speak. But if you look at Costco and it’s tuna Supplier, Bumble Bee Tuna (aka Kirkland), they are worried about your dollar, not your ocean. Not your world, not your childrens’ world. But they like to use big words and make simple answers look very complex so the average consumer will think “See? It’s not so bad. I understand the overfishing problem.” (http://www.bumblebee.com/Sustainability/Tuna%20Bycatches%20and%20discards.pdf )
But you’re aren’t supposed to be the Average Consumer, are you? You’re “GreenTech Girl.” People look up to you, read your opinions and take them out into the world. I know this is only one of many problems, but it’s a big one. Please, please do some more research. (The links here are a great place to start.) As a whole, Tuna is in Bad shape. Costco could fix it; you (and I) can help. Salmon is a good example of consumer/retailer partnerships changing the fate of a whole species and the plates we like to put them on… But change doesn’t start until we say “No. Do better and then you get my dollars.” (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/issues/wildseafood.aspx )

Comments on: Costco vs. Whole Foods

By: Nicci