Nordic Demand For MSC Tuna Quadrupled in Five Years
Sustainable canned tuna volumes retailed in Nordic nations have grown by 18 percent compared to last year, according to the Marine Stewardship Council. Sweden and Denmark particularly have seen a notable jump in the sales of MSC tuna products in the past five years.
On Tuesday, MSC released its first Nordic Region market report bringing together data and insights from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. It highlights strong growth in seafood from MSC-certified sustainable fisheries, while also highlighting the significant differences between countries, species, and product categories.
MSC-certified tuna volumes have more than quadrupled in five years, according to the report. In 2020/21, retailers across the four nations sold 5,000 M/T, while in 2025/26, this figure rose to more than 21,000 M/T.
During 2025/26, Swedish consumers purchased over 7,000 tons of MSC tuna, followed by the Danish at around 6,800 tons, and the Finnish at 5,500 tons. While MSC tuna in Norway has grown over the years, the volumes remain low in this market, where whitefish accounts for 85 percent of MSC seafood sold.
The report attributes the growth in certified tuna to increasing retailer commitments, growing brand participation, and the increasing global availability of certified supply: more than half of the global tuna catch landed in 2025 came from MSC-certified fisheries. The shift is most visible in Denmark, where MSC-certified tuna volumes have grown by 460 percent since 2021.
While Sweden remains by far the largest market for sustainable seafood products, including MSC tuna, in Denmark certified tuna accounts for almost one-third of total MSC seafood products sold and around 40 percent in Finland.
Most MSC-certified tuna is retailed as canned products. Among smaller formats, retail food-to-go items such as tuna wraps and pizzas recorded the biggest leap.
Retail food-to-go, including salads, sushi boxes and wraps with MSC seafood grew strongly across the four markets. According to the report, this is consistent with wider trends towards convenience and affordable alternatives to eating out, suggesting that grocery retailers may increasingly be competing for meals traditionally served by restaurants and takeaways.
Growth also extends to pet food: volumes of MSC-certified pet food (which includes tuna) exceeded 4,000 M/T, up almost 50 percent year on year and more than fourfold compared with 2020/21.
“This first Nordic report shows a market that is not just growing, but changing. Volumes of MSC certified cod are falling, while tuna, pollock, and hake are growing,” said Anna Dębicka, Program Director, Baltic and Central Europe, Marine Stewardship Council.