friend_of_the_sea-02

FOS – Friend of the Sea

Friend of the Sea Certification gives the public reassurance that fish products originating from a fisheries are managed in a responsible and sustainable way – something that is becoming critical.

Fish Friend of the Sea
    Friend of the Sea Certification

    About the certification

    Protecting Life Below Water
    Right now, over 2,000 aquatic species are at risk of extinction (IUCN Red List), and overfishing is one of the biggest threats. More than half of the world’s commercial fish stocks are already overexploited, depleted, or lacking reliable data. To make matters worse, certain fishing methods damage seabed ecosystems and create unsustainable levels of waste.

    Aquaculture can offer a lower-impact alternative—but only when managed responsibly. Poorly planned aquaculture has led to the destruction of mangrove forests, water pollution, and even the genetic weakening of wild fish populations.

    At Control Union UK, we believe in being a friend of the sea by offering the Friend of the Sea programme; working to protect marine biodiversity, promote sustainable fishing and aquaculture practices, and ensure a healthier future for our oceans.

    Only seafood products that meet rigorous sustainability standards are eligible for Friend of the Sea certification.

    Wild-Caught Fisheries: Certification is granted exclusively to products derived from healthy, non-overexploited stocks. Fishing must be conducted using selective methods that result in no more than 8% discards and cause negligible impact on seabed ecosystems.

    Aquaculture Operations: Farms must undergo a thorough Environmental Impact Assessment prior to approval. Certified sites are required to:

    Refrain from the use of growth hormones and antifouling paints

    Implement robust water, energy, and waste management systems

    Ensure effective measures to prevent stock escapes

    Source feed exclusively from sustainable, Friend of the Sea–approved suppliers

    Through these standards, Friend of the Sea ensures that certified products support the long-term health of marine ecosystems while promoting responsible practices across the supply chain.

    Aquaculture farming

    What we offer

    Control Union Certifications is accredited to offer certification for the Friend of the Sea programme. Control Union UK is authorised to carry out inspections, audits and verifications for the Friend of The Sea scheme.

    How you benefit

    The benefits of obtaining certification by Control Union

    Over three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. Oceans serve as the world largest source of protein and represents the main food source for over 2,5 billion people. Marine fisheries directly or indirectly employ over 200 million people. Oceans make up 97% of the Earth water and absorb about 30% of carbon dioxide produced by humans on the earth. The only way to keep on benefiting from oceans’ resources is to respect them..

    Control Union has a global network of offices. This allows us to make our work more efficient and cost effective for our customers, whilst upholding the same stringent professional auditing and certification procedures with ‘one stop shop’ certification of Fisheries; FOS Wild, FOS Aqua-Shellfish/Inland/Marine; FOS CoC, FF, FO, FM and O3; ASC, MSC, GLOBALG.A.P. Aquaculture, EU Organic Aquaculture, Food Safety and many more.

    Contact

    Can we help you?

    Need more details about our certification services, advice in your language, or answers to other questions? We’re here to help.

    Contact us