Thai Union Reinforces SeaChange® with #GhostGearReborn Kickoff on World Oceans Day

Thiraphong Chansiri, President and CEO, Thai Union Group PCL, a leading global seafood company, participated in a dive along with 40 other experienced divers to launch the #GhostGearReborn campaign on World Oceans Day. This is part of Thai Union's sustainability strategy SeaChange®, with an overarching objective that the seas are sustainable, now and for future generations.

Thiraphong Chansiri said. "Only through a concerted, coordinated effort can we expect to combat the large volumes of ghost gear worldwide. Protecting our seas is not only our industry's responsibility, but also essential to its survival. Today's activities are just the beginning. We plan for this dive to be one of many, with which we can inspire future involvement from all related parties to ensure the problem is solved."

In 2018, Thai Union joined forces with the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI); collaborating to actively promote solutions for reducing plastic waste and the growing problem of abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) worldwide. GGGI, a part of The Ocean Conservancy, includes representatives from the fishing industry, the private sector, academia, governments, intergovernmental, and non-governmental organizations.

Thai Union also partnered with the Royal Thai Navy and the city of Pattaya in a World Oceans Day cleanup at Tawaen Beach, and ghost gear diving activities off Koh Larn. The event was one of the projects supported by HRH Princess Sirivannavari. As part of the event, Sanjeev Pant, Managing Director and Saran Rattanarungruengchai, General Manager, Emerging Markets Unit, both of Thai Union, led Thai Union's SEALECT tuna team in serving 3,000 sandwiches to participants. Thai singer and actor Tono Pakin, named by AFMA-FAO Annex of Asia and the Pacific and the UN Ocean Conference as Sustainable Ocean Ambassador, also joined the event; expressing his support for the endeavor to clean up Thailand's seas.

About Thai Union Group

Thai Union Group PCL is the world's seafood leader bringing high quality, healthy, tasty and innovative seafood products to customers across the world for more than 40 years.

Today, Thai Union is regarded as the world's largest producer of shelf-stable tuna products with annual sales exceeding THB 133.3 billion (US$ 4.1 billion) and a global workforce of over 47,000 people who are dedicated to pioneering sustainable, innovative seafood products.

The company's global brand portfolio includes market-leading international brands such as Chicken of the Sea, John West, Petit Navire, Parmentier, Mareblu, King Oscar, and Rügen Fisch and Thai-leading brands SEALECT, Fisho, Qfresh, Monori, Bellotta and Marvo.

As a company committed to innovation and globally responsible behavior, Thai Union is proud to be a member of the United Nations Global Compact, and a founding member of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF). In 2015, Thai Union introduced its SeaChange® sustainability strategy. Find out more at seachangesustainability.org.

Thai Union's on-going work on sustainability issues was recognized in 2018 by being ranked number one in the world in the Food Products Industry in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, achieving a 100th percentile ranking for total sustainability score. Thai Union has now been named to the DJSI for five consecutive years. Thai Union was also named to the FTSE4Good Emerging Index for the third straight year in 2018.

Media contacts

Wiriyaporn Posayanonda
Head of External Communications
M: +66.63.231.0385
E: Wiriyaporn.Posayanonda@thaiunion.com