Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission

Friend of the Sea is a non-profit non-governative organisation (NGO), whose mission is to conserve the marine habitat.


Friend of the Sea is a voluntary certification for products originating from both sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.

Certified products from all continents include most of the traded species, fishmeal, fishfeed 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 Criteria 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).

Friend of the Sea has deployed an International Monitoring Program to verify onsite the Chain of Custody of approved suppliers of Friend of the Sea products.

ASC is the acronym for Aquaculture Stewardship Council, an independent not for profit organization. The ASC has a voluntary aquaculture certification label.

More than a standards holding body, the ASC will be a global transformation system for aquaculture, that will achieve:
Credibility: the standards are developed according to ISEAL guidelines, multi-stakeholder, open and transparent, science-based performance metrics.

Effectiveness: minimising the environmental and social footprint of commercial aquaculture by addressing key impacts.

Added value: connecting the farm to the marketplace by promoting responsible practices through a consumer label.

A private aquaculture and processing certification scheme. Uses the Global Aquaculture Alliance Best Aquaculture Practices standards in a certification system that combines site inspections and effluent sampling with sanitary controls, therapeutic controls and traceability.

Part of BAP's mission is to help educate the aquaculture public regarding the benefits of applying Best Aquaculture Practices and the advancing scientific technology that directs them. By implementing BAP standards, program participants can better meet the demands of the growing global market for wholesome seafood produced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.

Best Aquaculture Practices offers a primarily "process" certification. Successful participation in the Best Aquaculture Practices program is visually represented by limited use of the BAP certification mark .

BAP currently certifies shrimp hatcheries, shrimp, tilapia, channel catfish pangasius and salmon farms, feed mills and seafood processing plants.

FishSource™ is a resource about the status of fish stocks and fisheries (it is provided by Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (http://www.sustainablefish.org/). The aim is to provide major seafood buyers with up-to date, impartial, actionable information on the sustainability of fisheries and the improvements they need to make to become sustainable.

Wetlands International’s mission is “to sustain and restore wetlands, their resources and biodiversity for future generations”.

Our strategy
In order to fullfil our mission, we have adopted the following four long-term strategic global goals:
Global Goal 1: Stakeholders and decision makers are well-informed about the status and trends of wetlands, their biodiversity and priorities for action
Global Goal 2: The functions and values of wetlands are recognised and integrated into sustainable development
Global Goal 3: Conservation and sustainable use of wetlands is achieved through integrated water resource management and coastal zone management
Global Goal 4: Large scale, strategic initiatives result in improved conservation status of species, habitats and ecological networks
How we work
Wetlands International is a science-based organisation. We provide ' tools' and information to assist governments in the protection and restoration of wetlands. We try to influence policies, conventions and treaties relevant to wetlands, such as the UNFCCC and Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Wetlands International is a source of best-informed opinion on key issues affecting wetlands and priority actions for their conservation and wise use, drawing on scientific analyses and its own experience in global and national conservation programmes.