Standard Improvement on Sustainable Certification of Products
Standards Development and Improvement
Friend of the Sea develops certification standards for products, services and activities connected with the marine environment, from fisheries and aquaculture to omega-3, sunscreen, shipping and tourism.
All our standards follow the same development and review process. Technical expertise and stakeholder contributions help shape requirements suited to each standard’s scope.
Here you can learn how the process works, contribute your views and find consultation documents and published revision records.
Why we review our standards
Scientific knowledge, technology and industry practices develop over time. Reviewing our standards allows us to consider new evidence, practical experience and issues raised by the people who use or are affected by the requirements.
Review also provides an opportunity to clarify requirements and consider how they can be applied and assessed in practice. For businesses, clear requirements support preparation for assessment. For consumers, published standards explain the criteria behind certification.
Who contributes to the process
Businesses, consumers, researchers, non-governmental organisations and other interested parties can contribute evidence, experience and suggestions through consultation and stakeholder input.
The Technical and Scientific Department prepares and revises the content, reviews contributions and develops proposed changes. Certification bodies contribute practical insight into how requirements can be assessed. The Technical Committee reviews and votes on the proposed standard, and the Board of Directors ratifies its approval.
How our standards are developed and revised
The development and review process has four stages. The requirements considered at each stage reflect the products, services or activities covered by the standard.
1 Comments and suggestions
Draft requirements are made available for public consultation. Technical Committee members and other stakeholders are invited to review them and submit comments using the instructions provided for that revision.
2 Review of comments
The Technical and Scientific Department assesses the contributions and prepares any changes. Certification bodies also consider whether proposed requirements can be applied and audited in practice.
3 Voting
The Technical Committee assesses the proposed standard and votes on its approval under the applicable decision-making rules.
4 Final review and approval
Voting results and proposed changes are reviewed in accordance with the applicable procedure. The Board of Directors ratifies the approval of the standard.
Have your say
Your experience can help identify requirements that need clarification, practical challenges or evidence relevant to a standard’s development.
Comment on a consultation
Review the draft documents for the standard concerned and follow the submission instructions and deadlines provided for that revision. Identify the requirement you are commenting on and explain your suggestion, including supporting evidence where available.
Suggest an improvement
You can submit comments or suggestions outside consultation periods using the Stakeholder Input Form. Identify the standard and requirement concerned, describe the issue and explain the change you propose.
What happens to your comments
During a revision, the Technical and Scientific Department reviews contributions as it prepares proposed changes. The Technical Committee then assesses and votes on the standard’s content through the defined decision-making process.
Comments submitted outside consultation periods are considered during the subsequent revision in accordance with the Stakeholder Input Procedure. Published comments and revision summaries provide a record of previous contributions and decisions.
For questions about submitting feedback, email info@friendofthesea.org and identify the relevant standard or revision.
Consultation and revision documents
Explore the document collections below to follow individual revisions. The available collections cover aquaculture, fish welfare and a previous fisheries revision, with draft requirements, audit guidance and supporting records.
Each document relates to the stage and version shown in its title. Consult the relevant revision notice for participation dates and status. Businesses preparing for assessment should confirm the applicable standard, version and transition arrangements with their certification body.
FOS-Aqua Inland-Marine v.4 draft
FOS-Audit Guidance for Aqua Inland-Marine Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Acipenser baerii – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Acipenser gueldenstaedtii – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Acipenser naccarii – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Acipenser ruthenus – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Acipenser stellatus – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Acipenser transmontanus – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Argyrosomus regius – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Dentex dentex – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Dicentrarchus labrax – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Diplodus puntazzo – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Huso huso – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Liza ramada – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Mugil cephalus – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Oncorhynchus mykiss – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Rachycentron canadum – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Salmo carpio – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Salmo salar – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Salmo trutta – Fish Welfare Standard
FOS-Aqua – Salvelinus alpinus – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Salvelinus fontinalis – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Scophthalmus maximus – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Seriola dumerilii – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Seriola lalandi – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS-Aqua – Sparus aurata – Fish Welfare Standard draft
FOS Argyrosomus regius Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Acipenser transmontanus Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Acipenser stellatus Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Acipenser ruthenus Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Acipenser naccarii Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Acipenser gueldenstaedtii Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Acipenser baerii Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Sparus aurata Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Seriola lalandi Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Seriola dumerilii Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Scophthalmus maximus Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Salvelinus fontinalis Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Salvelinus alpinus Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Salmo trutta Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Salmo salar Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Salmo carpio Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Rachycentron canadum Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Oncorhynchus mykiss Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Mugil cephalus Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Liza ramada Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Huso huso Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Diplodus puntazzo Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Dicentrarchus labrax Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Dentex dentex Standard Draft phase 2
FOS Audit Guidance on Fish Welfare Standards Draft phase 2
These documents record the proposals, consultation and decisions associated with this revision.
FOS Wild Standard v.4 during the first phase
FOS Audit Guidance v.2 during the first phase
FOS Wild Standard v.4 after second phase
FOS Audit Guidance v.2 after second phase
Term of Reference of the revision process
Work programme and published records
Consult the work programme for information about standard-setting activities, and the published records for previous comments and stakeholder inputs. Read each document alongside its publication date and the revision it concerns.
Work Programme for Standard Setting and Revision
Raise a concern about the process
If your concern relates to how a standards revision has been conducted, use the Complaints and Appeals Form and follow the accompanying procedure.
The published procedure explains how complaints are considered and the steps available. Records of previous and pending complaints can be consulted below.
Download the Complaints and Appeals Form
Receive consultation notifications
To request notification of future standards consultations, email info@friendofthesea.org. Tell us which standards or areas of work interest you.
You can also request further revision records, including draft standards and information about stakeholder participation at different stages. Please identify the standard or revision relevant to your enquiry.
Explore related programme information
For information about the requirements associated with the seafood document collections on this page, visit:
Fisheries, fleets and seafood products
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