Friend of the Sea

Friend of the Sea is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO), whose mission is the conservation of the marine habitat. Friend of the Sea was founded by Dr Paolo Bray - European Director of the Earth Island Institute's Dolphin-Safe Project. The Dolphin-Safe Project saved millions of dolphins from death in the tuna nets and started the sustainable seafood movement. Friend of the Sea is now a leading international certification project for products originated from both sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. Certified products from all continents include most of the traded species, fishmeal, fish feed and Omega-3 fish oil.

Products and their origins are audited onsite by independent international certification bodies, against strict Friend of the Sea sustainability criteria.

Friend of the Sea certification requirements follow the FAO - Guidelines for the Ecolabelling of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries. In particular, only products from stocks which are not overexploited can be certified (Art. 30 FAO Guidelines). In line with the FAO, Friend of the Sea pricing model is affordable also to artisanal fisheries and small-scale producers, representing over 50% of the Friend of the Sea certifications.