MAJURO, Marshall Islands — An upstart fisheries business initiative from the Marshall Islands has seen the volume of tuna on Walmart shelves grow exponentially since its launch in 2022.
A tuna supply deal with U.S. retail giant Walmart — that is unprecedented for a Pacific Island nation — continues to grow, said Glen Joseph, director of the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority, a prime mover behind the contract with Walmart that was originally started in early 2022.
Tuna transshipment aboard the PS Mathawmarfach in Majuro in August 2024. Photo by Hilary Hosia Tuna provided through the Marshall Islands joint venture tuna supply company known as Pacific Islands Tuna has produced 40 million cans of Walmart’s house brand Great Value tuna, said Joseph on Jan. 2.
“We’ve doubled the amount of tuna compared to the beginning (of the contract),” said Joseph. “And Walmart wants more.”
Pacific Islands Tuna — which is a joint venture combining The Nature Conservancy and the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority — has pitched the opportunity to other members of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement as a way for any of them to gain more participation in what is known as the “tuna value chain.”
So far, Pacific Islands Tuna signed up the 11 Marshall Islands-flagged domestic purse seiners and a few other purse seiners from other PNA countries to provide free school-caught tuna that meets international sustainability standards. This sustainably caught tuna is funneled to Walmart canneries in the Philippines and Thailand by Pacific Islands Tuna.
The significance of the arrangement with Walmart is that it ranks as both the largest retailer in the U.S. and globally.
“It’s ideal for any PNA member or other Pacific nation to provide commitments for its domestic fleet (to supply tuna to Walmart),” Joseph said. The Walmart arrangement provides for two important developments, he said. These include:
Access for Pacific Island tuna to the U.S. market, which is a huge market for gaining a foothold. The signing of the supply contract with Walmart in 2022 marked the first time Pacific Island nations had access to the U.S. market despite the nearly 40-year old U.S. Pacific Tuna Treaty, which has provisions for accessing the U.S. market that have never been realized through U.S. government channels.
Increased participation in the tuna value chain to generate revenue beyond simply selling licenses and fishing days to fishing boats. The global tuna industry is valued at $40 billion annually, according to the Pew Foundation.
“PNA’s Vessel Day Scheme works (for managing tuna fishing in the region) and creates opportunities for value chain participation,” Joseph said.
He said one of the important next steps in the process is the development of a Pacific Island Seafood Standard to govern tuna catches, handling and processing for export. Currently, free school-caught tuna in the PNA region is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council.
Joseph said the MSC certification now in play works for the region. But he wants to see PNA and other countries in the region develop and adopt “our own standards that meet international consumer standards.” Like the Vessel Day Scheme, a Pacific tuna standard would be “fit for purpose” for this region.
Just like the Pacific Islands Tuna-Walmart contract, the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority adopts a “bottom-up approach” to fisheries management and development, Joseph said. From this approach at the local level — doing the groundwork that sets the stage for larger developments — MIMRA has been successful in drawing in international donors and like-minded companies and individuals to help MIMRA efforts to fruition.
“Twenty to thirty years ago, the fisheries conversation was limited to how to get fishing companies to pay us to fish with no connection to the market,” he said. “Now we have access to the market.” mbj
