Sustainability, commoditization and perception of tuna products as an “old-fashioned category” are key threats to the global tuna industry according to Bolton Food Sustainable Development Director Luciano Pirovano.

And this is why the sector must innovate, both in terms of products and in terms of traceability and supply chain management, he said.

Pirovano used the car industry as an example of a sector that has succeeded through constant innovation and a drive towards sustainability. The tuna industry must do the same, he added.

There are many positive trends for the sector to take advantage of.

The huge trend towards urbanization is a motivator for the category, according to Pirovano, who quoted figures that by 2050, seven out of 10 people will live in big cities.

“If you live in big cities, you need convenient food with long shelf life -- canned fish is perfect,” he told delegates at Tuna 2018 in Bangkok last week.

And there are several food trends ripe for tuna to latch on to, many of which Bolton is already taking advantage of through its numerous European brands.

With "Leggero" and "Super Natural" products under its Rio Mare and Isabel labels, Bolton is exploiting the health and wellness trend so prevalent across all food categories right now.

Speciality food is another trend, under which Bolton has launched products such as tuna in olive oil with chili and garlic; and tuna rillettes with herbs -- a French spread for bread traditionally made with meat.

"Instant everywhere" is the third key trend Pirovano identified, using examples of its canned tuna salads, which it sells under numerous brands across the European markets.

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Pirovano also believes more technology must be employed to help tackle burning issues such as illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; bycatch; monitoring and other challenges before unsustainable catches lead to supply issues and rising costs.

Bolton is committed to sourcing 100 percent of its tuna from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fisheries by 2024 and is “already at a very good stage for this,” Pirovano said.

The company has been working with WWF and is fully supportive of Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) as a step towards MSC certification, he said.

Along with its strategic partner Tri-Marine, Bolton is already working on a number of FIPs around the world.

Pirovano also said more must be done to manage Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), a key theme of the Bangkok conference.

“If we do not manage this gear it is a point of weakness for our industry and for stakeholders," he said. "We need to develop an ownership framework for FADs and create a sense of liability for abandoned FADs."

Pirovano went on to say the industry must consider other fishing methods, diversify and innovate to create sustainability.

While conceding there was no perfect fishing method, Pirovano said it was important to weigh the positives and negatives and address issues related to each one through a scientific approach.

In response to this, Bolton is now sourcing from a range of fishing methods, including purse seiners with FAD management, pole & line, handline, artisinal and Free Schools, all of which are involved in Bolton's FIPS, said Pirovano.

Human rights also came high on the agenda as a new but “hot” topic.

“As an industry we need third party credible efforts to develop labor and social standards on a global scale,” he said. “We also need to think about the shared value along the supply chain. This is not just about human rights, but about ensuring fairness to the many developing countries in the supply chain.”

The Italy-based food arm of Dutch conglomerate Bolton Group, Bolton Foods is parent to some of Europe's biggest tuna brands, including Saupiquet, Rio Mare and Palmera.

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This article is an expanded version of a blog entry first published in our .

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European tuna giant's message to the industry: Innovate or die