Class-action lawsuits have been filed against Bumble Bee Foods and Conagra Brands over sustainability claims they made for their seafood products. The separate complaints, filed in federal district courts in the U.S. states of Illinois and California, each ask for at least USD 5 million (EUR 4.7 million) in damages.
The complaints also heavily criticize the Marine Stewardship Council, alleging it “blatantly violates its own standards and puts the very ecosystem MSC feigns to protect in serious danger.”
Plaintiffs Abdallah Nasser and John Bohen contend the “Sustainability Promise” found on each of Bumble Bee’s product labels – including canned pouched Wild Caught Pink Salmon and Sockeye Salmon and pouched Wild Caught Applewood Smoke Tuna – “deceives and misleads reasonable consumers into believing the products are sourced from sustainable fishing practices.”
“Bumble Bee turns a blind eye to the unsustainable fishing practices used in sourcing its products and boldly uses the Sustainability Promise with the [MSC] Blue Tick as proof of sustainable fishing methods,” the plaintiffs said.
Bumble Bee knew or should have known that “MSC hands out this certification to those who use industrial fishing methods that injure marine life as well as ocean habitats with destructive fishing. MSC also allows its members to obtain their certification with a paid membership, creating a potential conflict of interest,” the plaintiffs said.
