Wild Planet
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 23 October 2026 · 8 sources
US canned tuna, salmon and sardine brand owned by Italy's Bolton Group.
There's no proof Wild Planet pays more than the legal minimum, which in Thailand is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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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 a hidden, unaudited supply chain 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 rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as Thailand and China, where 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: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Wild Planet says it makes products in the United States. Product labels show Vietnam and Thailand. The rest is shown as 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 |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| AustraliaUsual for the industry | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| EcuadorUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| NorwayUsual for the industry | 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.
- Traces most of its fish and seafood to named fishing boats or farms
- 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 Wild Planet skipjack is labelled processed in Vietnam and Thailand by processors it does not name, and its salmon comes from cannery partners in Bristol Bay, Alaska; where its sardines and other lines are packed is not disclosed. Its tuna is pole-and-line or troll caught, with over 90% of its albacore from Japan and the US and of its skipjack from Japan, and every lot code is traceable to the individual vessel through Trace Register, though no vessel list is public. It bans transshipment at sea and asks suppliers to follow ILO core conventions, but reports no independent checks of crews or cannery workers. It declines eco-labels such as MSC.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Listed | Wild Planet tied for first of 20 brands in Greenpeace USA's 2017 Tuna Shopping Guide, which judged fair treatment of workers; no newer edition covers it. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Wild Planet did not respond to the Resource Centre's 2018-19 Pacific canned tuna survey but engaged with the 2020-21 round. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | Neither Wild Planet nor parent Bolton is among the 45 companies in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 8
Show all 8 sources
- 2017 Tuna Shopping Guide (Greenpeace USA) · search the archive · Wild Planet tied first of 20 brands; criteria include fair treatment of workers
- Pacific canned tuna supply chains (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · Wild Planet did not respond in 2018-19 but engaged in 2020-21
- 2026 KnowTheChain Food and Beverage Benchmark (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · 45 companies assessed; Wild Planet and Bolton not included
- Bolton Group strengthens sustainable tuna supply after Wild Planet purchase (SeafoodSource) · search the archive · Bolton Group acquired Wild Planet, based in McKinleyville, California; pole-and-line tuna since 2004
- Wild Planet Skipjack Wild Tuna & Sea Salt (Giant Food Stores) · search the archive · Caught in the Central or North Pacific; processed in Vietnam and Thailand; sold in US stores
Published by Wild Planet or its owner
- Tuna Procurement Policy (Wild Planet) · search the archive · All lot codes traceable to individual pole-and-line or troll vessels via Trace Register; over 90% of albacore from Japan and US, skipjack from Japan; no at-sea transshipment; declines eco-labels
- Seafood from catch to can (Wild Planet) · search the archive · Salmon cannery partners in Bristol Bay, Alaska; Trace Register tracking from catch to can
- Bolton acquires Wild Planet Foods (Bolton) · search the archive · Bolton Group owns Wild Planet Foods
Company details
- Owned by
- Bolton Group (Italy)
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 23 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Wild Planet ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/wild-planet, last researched 23 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Wild Planet.