Friend of the Sea has launched its new international certification for sustainable shipping, and two large global shipping companies have achieved certification to the new standard.
GreenSea and Seatrade were audited by the third party auditor BMT Surveys and were found compliant with the new Friend of the Sea criteria. GreenSea and Seatrade both have their operational offices in Antwerp, Belgium and carry frozen food products, including tuna and other seafood, around the world.
“Merchant shipping is currently carrying more than 90% of international trade. Although some shipping companies have already implemented several strict sustainability measures, there are still many of them which don’t even comply with the minimum requirements,” said Paolo Bray, founder and director of Friend of the Sea.
“This is why an international certification for sustainable shipping - such as Friend of the Sea - is fundamental for producers and retailers to easily select environmentally friendly shipping companies. This is even more important for companies which claim sustainability of their seafood’s origin.”
The Friend of the Sea certification criteria includes pollution prevention, water and waste control, social accountability and sustainable seafood requirements.
Greensea’s current fleet is composed of about 40 high-standard, small to middle-sized vessels with their own cargo gear and other handling equipment, and all of the vessels have achieved certification.
Seatrade has a large fleet of around 100 specialised reefer vessels of various sizes, and 16 of them have already achieved the certification.
