Retailer

Migros

Switzerland
10
Years of IPNLF Membership

Migros’ responsible seafood vision is to sell only fish and seafood that is fished and produced in a way that preserves wild stocks and ecosystems in the long term and complies with socially responsible working conditions along the supply chain. Migros is committed to constantly improving its environmental footprint and ensuring socially responsible working conditions in its supply chain.

Migros was one of the first companies to join the WWF Seafood Group, whose members are committed to switching to sustainable fish. In 2022, Migros and the Migros Group signed a partnership with Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP). Migros and SFP developed a new assessment method for fish and seafood products, the M-Check “Fish from responsible sources”. Migros communicates the results of these assessments directly on fish products via M-Check Seafood stars. More about the evaluation criteria and M-Check can be found at m-check.ch.

Today, a large part of its seafood comes from responsible sources. One important step towards achieving this goal for Migros was that the retailer has decided to change the whole of its brand tinned range to pole-and-line caught skipjack tuna and albacore tuna. With their entire tinned own brand range being pole-and-line skipjack, this is a retailer you can trust.

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Products sold by Migros

Migros’ responsible seafood vision is to sell only fish and seafood that is fished and produced in a way that preserves wild stocks and ecosystems in the long term and complies with socially responsible working conditions along the supply chain. Tuna stands out as one of the top three species, which are sold by Migros.

Migros sells Tuna either fresh or frozen (Yellowfin Tuna) or canned in varieties of preparations (Skipjack and Albacore). All products can be viewed under the following link. Since 2013, the entire range of own-brand canned tuna has consisted of skipjack tuna caught by traditional pole-and-line.

At A Glance

Trend Setter Migros first

​​​​​​In 2018, Migros became the first retailer in Switzerland only to sell seafood that either conforms to a sustainable label or originates from "recommended" and "acceptable" sources, according to the WWF rating. Nowadays, we are working together with the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) for more transparent and responsible sourcing.

Small turned big Migros for the population

From five cars in 1925, six basic products were sold to hundreds of stores. Migros was founded with the thought of serving the common good of all. Migros’ success shall benefit everyone. Therefore, Migros transformed in 1940 into a cooperative. Mister Duttweiler, Migros’ founder, gave his company to the Swiss population, and with institutions such as the “Kulturprozent” and the “Klubschule”, he made culture and education accessible to the poorer classes.

Migros is 100% transparent Taking sustainability seriously and communicating it

Migros is not 100% sustainable but is 100% transparent. Migros communicates the most important sustainability factors, such as “seafood from responsible sources” and other impacts on its product. This helps Migros’ customers see how high their impact is regarding sustainability. Migros has developed together with independent external experts a sustainability rating, which shows the impact on climate compatibility, animal welfare, environmentally friendly packaging, fish from responsible sources and others.

Net Zero - Climate & Energy Strategy Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction

Since our various business areas have significant actual and potential impacts on climate and energy availability, these topics are highly relevant in our materiality analysis. Migros has set ambitious targets to reduce our negative impacts and maximise their positive ones. The entire Migros Group will no longer emit greenhouse gases by 2050.

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, the largest fish retailer in Switzerland, understands the responsibility of being a frontrunner in the retail sector. As one of Switzerland's biggest food producers, Migros must know that all raw materials originate from responsible production. All Migros companies may only procure raw materials and products that meet the basic ecological and social requirements throughout the Migros Group.

Migros’ responsible seafood vision is to sell only fish and seafood that is fished and produced in a way that preserves wild stocks and ecosystems in the long term and complies with socially responsible working conditions along the supply chain. Migros is committed to constantly improving its environmental footprint and ensuring socially responsible working conditions in its supply chain.

 

Fisheries Improvement Toolbox (FIT) Engagement

Back in 2013, Migros committed 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 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 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% responsible seafood by 2020. Their commitment includes sourcing exclusively from pole-and-line fisheries that IPNLF supports to bring responsibly sourced tuna to consumers' plates.