Why Pole and Line Matters: Sirena’s Commitment to Sustainable Tuna

‘Sustainable’ is one of the most widely used and misunderstood terms when it comes to brands advertising their seafood and fishing methods to consumers.

While many brands use the word on their packaging or in marketing, not all fishing methods have the same impact on ocean health. How your tuna is caught matters.

For over a decade, Sirena has committed to catching its tuna using a pole and line fishing method, a technique recognised globally by the International Pole and Line Foundation (IPNLF) for its low environmental impact and reduction of bycatch. It’s also better for local communities that depend on fishing to earn a living. Sirena is a proud member of the International Pole and Line Foundation. The organisation connects small, coastal tuna fisheries directly to markets and helps reduce their environmental impact for more sustainable tuna supplies and supply chains.

Pole and line fishing protects marine ecosystems while helping ensure tuna stocks remain healthy for the future. Let’s go into more detail about pole and line fishing to help you understand how it works and why it’s better for our planet.

Pole and line fishing is one of the most selective fishing methods in the world, where one fisherman using one hook will catch one fish at a time. Each fish is caught individually, allowing local fishermen to target only the intended species and the correct size as per supplier requirements.

Compare this with the more popular Purse Seine fishing method, where large nets, over a kilometre long, trap entire schools of fish and drag them onto boats. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), purse seine operations result in significant bycatch. Other marine species, such as young fish, sharks, rays, and turtles, may be caught unintentionally and perish, depleting their numbers in our oceans.

By contrast, pole and line fishing is consistently cited as a more sustainable, low-bycatch method, because fishers can immediately release any non-target species back into the ocean alive. This intentional selectivity helps protect marine ecosystems and reduces unnecessary harm to ocean life.

Most sustainability claims can be misleading because of the widespread use of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs). FADs are devices that float in the ocean and are designed to lure schools of fish, including tuna, to boats using sonar.

While these devices have proven highly effective at increasing the volume of fish caught, research by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and FAO has shown that they have also increased the amount of bycatch, reducing the number of non-fish species in the oceans and damaging the balance in ecosystems.

According to the FAO, tuna caught using FADs tend to be younger and smaller, which can affect population numbers in the future. Not all fish caught using this method are sold, leaving our oceans emptier and species stocks smaller.

Our commitment to pole and line fishing means FADs are not used to catch our tuna. By avoiding these devices entirely, Sirena ensures that only the intended tuna species are caught, helping preserve the delicate balance of marine ecosystems and supporting responsible tuna stock management.

Seafood plays an important role in a healthy diet, but the FAO has warned that over one-third of global fish stocks are overfished, largely due to unsustainable fishing practices. Your choices as a consumer have real influence in reversing this trend and promoting sustainable fishing practices in Australia, like pole and line fishing.

Some benefits of pole and line-caught tuna include:

• Reduce bycatch and protect non-target species
• Help maintain healthy tuna populations
• Encourage responsible practices across global supply chains
• Reduces the amount of discarded plastic nets in the oceans

By choosing more sustainable brands of tuna like Sirena, consumers like you help create demand for sustainable fishing practices, which will protect fish stocks and create sustainable oceans for generations to come.

Sirena also stands for quality and authentic taste. It’s premium yellowfin tuna you feel confident sharing with your loved ones. With recyclable packaging and a long-standing commitment to ethical tuna fishing, choosing Sirena means enjoying great-tasting tuna while doing your part for our oceans.