Friend of the Sea certification

Friend of the Sea (FOS) is an internationally recognized, non-profit organization whose mission is to conserve marine habitats worldwide. FOS operates leading certification projects that verify the sustainability of fisheries and omega-3 fish oil products.

Ballstad Omega3 is committed to the health of the oceans. Compliance with FOS standards is important not only for customers, but also for our company and the environment.

Ballstad sources all of its fish from waters certified as sustainable by the FOS. The strict criteria of the FOS include:

• The products come from fish stocks that are not overfished.
• Fishing practices prevent bycatch of endangered species.
• Fishing practices reduce impacts on the ecosystem.
• The production is energy efficient.
• Corporate practices include high standards of social responsibility

Sustainable procurement

Since our founding, Ballstad Omega 3 has always been committed to the health of our oceans. Our ecological responsibility includes:

Regulated fishing
To avoid overfishing, we source 100% of our fish according to the Norwegian fisheries management system, which has been a model for sustainability for over 30 years.

Prevention of bycatch
We use responsible fishing gear, including purse seining, sorting screens and large mesh to prevent bycatch of unintended species.

Habitat protection
We use line and net fishing to prevent damage to the seabed and ecosystem through methods such as bottom trawling and dredging.

Marine pollution prevention
Up to 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based sources such as runoff, sewage and waste. Our coastal processing operations lead the industry in minimizing pollution and conserving resources.

Ballstad Omega 3 only uses wild-caught and sustainably farmed fish.