Thai seafood giant commits to major fishing reforms

Greenpeace activists stand inside a large mock-up of a canned tuna in front of the Thai Union headquarters in Bangkok on October 29, 2015. - AFP/file

Bangkok (AFP) - Thai Union, one of the world's largest seafood conglomerates, said Tuesday it will overhaul its fishing practices to protect against labour abuses and unsustainable trawling, a move hailed by Greenpeace as "huge progress".

The Thai food giant -- which owns major global brands such as Chicken of the Sea, John West and Petit Navire -- has long been a bete noire to those campaigning against overfishing and abusive working conditions on boats.