Friend of the Sea, the leading international certification of sustainable seafood and Omega3, has developed its own enhanced platform based on satellite technology to monitor the over 2.000 Friend of the Sea approved fishing vessels.
The Friend of the Sea Satellite Monitoring Program (SMP) is part of a monitoring enhancement program, which includes among the others, deployment of CCTVs onboard, drones and unannounced augmented reality audit. These new technologies will eliminate the risk of non-compliance and further reassure consumers about the reliability of the Friend of the Sea certification.
By means of the SMP, vessels are monitored continuously 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. Satellite monitoring allows for verification of compliance with regulations related to fishing season; authorized fishing areas; transshipment at sea and Social Accountability.
“Consumers and retailers looking for a certification carrying out not only annual onsite inspections, but also full-time monitoring of fishing activities, can now rely on Friend of the Sea for a safer sustainable choice” explains Paolo Bray, Founder and Director of Friend of the Sea.
“Satellite monitoring is an exclusivity of Friend of the Sea, making it the first and only certification monitoring each moment of the fishing activity, to protect the Oceans from unsustainable fishing. Our aim is to make sure that all industrial vessels approved Friend of the Sea will, by the end of 2023 have CCTVs on board to allow Friend of the Sea verification of compliance with issues related to bycatch, fishing methods, endangered species, fish welfare and social accountability. New technologies make Friend of the Sea the most reliable certification in the seafood market”.
FRIEND OF THE SEA (www.friendofthesea.org)
Friend of the Sea is a project of the World Sustainability Organization (WSO), providing certification of products and services which respect the marine habitat and aquatic species. Seafood and Omega3 supplements from sustainable fisheries and aquaculture can be certified, following audits to verify compliance with strict sustainability requirements. Audits are carried out by qualified auditors of independent and nationally accredited certification bodies. Other products and services can apply for Friend of the Sea certification, such as sustainable salt, restaurants and chefs, UV Creams, ornamental fish species, public aquariums, seaweeds, shipping, whale and dolphin-watching operators. Over a thousand companies have products certified by WSO certification programs in over 70 countries. Friend of the Sea also deploys its own conservation projects and campaigns to protect endangered species and habitats.
