Ocean's
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 23 October 2026 · 6 sources
Canadian canned tuna and salmon brand owned by Ocean Brands.
We couldn't confirm where Ocean's makes most of its canned tuna and salmon.
Also worth knowing
Most fish and seafood are processed in countries such as Thailand and China, where pay is usually below a living wage and unions are heavily restricted.
Other canned and pouched fish brands
Nothing we've rated in canned and pouched fish is better than Lacks transparency yet.
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Compare Ocean's with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production, probably in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsWhere fish and seafood are usually processed, such as Thailand and China, unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Traces its catch to the boat or farm and has crews' or farm workers' conditions checked independently
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Probably made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
We couldn't confirm where Ocean's makes most of its products, so this shows where fish and seafood are usually processed.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Ecuador | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Norway | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: fishing fleets and processing plants have some of the worst documented forced labour, including trafficked crews held at sea for years.
- It traces some of its catch or holds environmental labels such as MSC, ASC or BAP, but doesn't show both that its catch is traced to the boat or farm and that crews' or farm workers' conditions are checked independently.
Research notes Ocean's names no canneries or processing countries. Owner Ocean Brands named Thai Union, FCF and Tri Marine as tuna suppliers, said its plants are audited under SMETA or BSCI and that boat social audits were still being worked on (2019); it publishes no plant or vessel list and reports no independent crew checks. 70% of the Ocean's range was MSC certified in 2022, including all its skipjack tuna. Ocean Brands is a Certified B Corp (score 90.3). Its 2016 pledge moved light tuna to pole-and-line or FAD-free fishing.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| B Corp directory | Certified | Owner Ocean Brands is a Certified B Corp with a current overall score of 90.3 (91.3 in 2019). View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Problem found | Ocean Brands answered the Resource Centre's 2018-19 tuna supply chain survey, reporting no modern slavery cases found in 2018. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Ocean Brands - Tuna 2018-19 survey response (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · Suppliers Thai Union, FCF and Tri-marine; plants audited via SMETA or BSCI; boat audits in progress; no public human rights commitment; no modern slavery cases reported for 2018
- Update towards #JustTuna: how a big Canadian brand is working to clean up its sourcing (Greenpeace Canada, 2017) · search the archive · Thai Union named as an Ocean Brands supplier; new supplier code of conduct and third-party audits
- Ocean Brands - B Corp directory · search the archive · Certified B Corp, score 90.3 (91.3 in 2019); brands Ocean's, Gold Seal, Millionnaires; operates in Canada
- Canadian company plans major overhaul of canned tuna, salmon product lines (SeafoodSource, 2016) · search the archive · Pole-and-line or free-school tuna pledge; supplier code enforced by SAI Global audits; no suppliers or vessels named
- Ocean Brands - MSC for Ocean's Skipjack Tuna (Fish Focus, 2022) · search the archive · Ocean's skipjack tuna 100% MSC certified, bringing 70% of the Ocean's product portfolio under MSC certification
- Ocean Brands (TriWest Capital Partners portfolio) · search the archive · Canadian shelf-stable seafood company owning Ocean's and Gold Seal; TriWest invested in 2026; sold in Canada
Company details
- Headquarters
- Canada
- Last researched
- 23 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Ocean's ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/oceans, last researched 23 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Ocean's.