Friend of the Sea was founded by Paolo Bray in 2008 – Director of International Programs of the Earth Island Institute Dolphin-Safe Tuna project. Millions of dolphins were saved from death in tuna nets thanks to the Dolphin-Safe project, the precursor of the sustainable seafood movement. Aware of the importance of certifications to achieve tangible conservation results, Bray launched in 2008 the Friend of the Sea certification.
Friend of the Sea is a project of the World Sustainability Organization (WSO), an international NGO whose mission is to promote environmental conservation.
Friend of the Sea has become the leading certification standard for products and services which respect and protect the marine environment. Seafood, Omega3 supplements, fishmeal and fish oil are certified Friend of the Sea when sourced from sustainable fisheries and aquaculture practices Over the years, Friend of the Sea has expanded the scope of the certification developing new pilot standards for sustainable salt, restaurants, cosmetics, tourism, shipping and more.
Friend of the Sea is the only sustainable fisheries certification standard recognised and supervised globally by the National Accreditation Body. Several benchmark studies have confirmed the strength and reliability of the Friend of the Sea certification requirements..
Yearly audits are carried out onsite by independent international certification bodies in consultation with stakeholders, against the strict Friend of the Sea environmental sustainability and social accountability criteria.
Friend of the Sea also promotes conservation projects for the protection of marine and other aquatic habitat.
Alignment with Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals
In its continuous effort to promote sustainability and protect biodiversity, WSO has undergone an SDG Impact Assessment which confirms its full alignment with Agenda 2030 and its 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), creating positive direct impact on 12 SDGs (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14 & 15) and contributing indirectly to the remaining five (3, 5, 10, 13 & 16).