Migros Group

Switzerland

Years of IPNLF Membership

The Migros Group is the largest retailer in Switzerland and is the country's biggest private employer with over 99,000 employees. Migros is owned by a federation of 10 regional cooperatives with over 2 million members.

They operate the core business of the Migros Group – retail. Today, a large part of its seafood comes from sustainable sources. One important step towards achieving this goal was that the retailer has decided to change the whole of its own brand tinned range to pole-and-line caught skipjack tuna. Referred to as "der orange Riese", the orange giant, Migros is Switzerland's largest retail company. With their entire tinned own brand range being pole-and-line skipjack, this is a retailer you can trust.

Find a Store

Products sold by Migros Group

The Migros Group is a Swiss retailer that supplies seafood from sustainable sources. Tuna products are sold in cans in a variety of delicious ﬂavours including, olive oil, Mexican, garlic and chilli, and lemon and pepper. Tuna is also sold as ﬁllets and as spreadable paté.

Migros was one of the first companies to join the WWF Seafood Group, whose members are committed to switching to sustainable fish. Since 2018, all of its seafood either conforms to a sustainable label or originates from "recommended" and "acceptable" sources, according to the WWF rating. In addition, the range of certiﬁed products is also being expanded continuously. For example, Migros is the world's ﬁrst retailer to introduce ASC-certiﬁed trout ﬁllets. Since 2013, the entire range of own-brand tinned tuna has consisted of pink tuna caught by traditional pole and line, which causes almost no bycatch.

Canned

At A Glance

Trend Setter Migros first: In 2018, Migros became the first retailer in Switzerland to only sell seafood that either conforms to a sustainable label or originates from "recommended" and "acceptable" sources, according to the WWF rating.

Migros x WWF Taking sustainability seriously: Migros is a member of the WWF Seafood Group. They take their suggestions very seriously, committing to sellﬁsh and seafood that either conforms to a sustainable label or which has been categorised as "recommended" or "acceptable" by WWF.

Pole-and-line safeguards the health of our seas while providing a sustainable source of livelihoods. Unprecedented demand for pole-and-line tuna means that it’s vital to work closely with these fisheries to ensure their long-term viability.

—
Oliver Hausman - Head of Category Management & Purchasing, Migros

Our Fisheries

Maldives pole-and-line skipjack tuna

Indian Ocean

The Maldives pole-and-line skipjack fishery has been operating for centuries and has been the lifeline of the Maldivian economy since before the boom of the tourism industry in the mid 1970s. The fishery not only provides a large proportion of the country’s income from the tuna trade and export, but also provides one of the only sources of protein for the Maldivian population, also contributing to a stable livelihood. The Maldivian pole-and-line fishery is located in the Arabian Sea within the Indian Ocean.

Maldives

Skipjack Tuna

Find out more

Company Policies and Reports

Migros, as the largest fish retailer in Switzerland, understands the responsibility that comes with being a front runner in the retail sector. Migros generates around 45% of its turnover from own-brand products. As one of the biggest food producers in Switzerland, it is especially important to Migros to know that all raw materials originate from sustainable production. Migros also uses its influence as Switzerland's largest retailer to ensure that suppliers take a more responsible approach to the procurement and production of raw materials. All Migros companies may only procure raw materials and products which meet the basic ecological and social requirements that apply throughout the Group.

Fisheries Improvement Toolbox (FIT) Engagement

Back in 2013, Migros made the commitment to pole-and-line sourced fish. Migros became the first distributor to supply canned skipjack tuna caught by rod and line from sustainable fisheries in the Maldives, completing the move over to pole-and-line fisheries in 2014. In the same year, Migros joined IPNLF to help fund a fisheries school to teach the next generation of fishers in the Maldives to learn about the importance of responsible fishing and the pole-and-line technique.

They continued their support of one-by-one fisheries and transparency occurred in 2017. They joined with other member retailer groups to help fund two PhD students working in the MoFA to research a new tool for transparency within the Maldives fishing community and beyond.

By 2019, Migros had committed to 100% sustainable seafood by 2020. Their commitment includes sourcing exclusively from pole-and-line fisheries that IPNLF support to bring responsibly sourced tuna to consumer’s plates.