Omega Protein is a Friend of the Sea

Omega Protein is certified
as a Friend of the Sea

Omega Protein has been certified as a Friend of the Sea in recognition of our record of supporting marine conservation, environmental protection and sustainable fishing practices in regards to the menhaden fishery.

The main seafood certification system in the world, Friend of the Sea is a nonprofit, independent organization dedicated to conserving marine habitats and resources through sustainable practices.

Friend of the Sea follows these guidelines to certify applicants for sustainability:

• Target stocks cannot be considered overexploited.
• Applicant's fishing methods cannot impact the seabed.
• Applicant's fishing method cannot discard more than eight percent in weight of the total catch.

To maintain Omega Protein's certification as a Friend of the Sea, we take the following voluntary measures:

• We only fish from April through October to protect the menhaden's natural spawning cycle.
• We do not participate in roe fisheries.
• We only fish in approved, designated U.S. coastal waters.
• The by-catch—or the catch of non-target species—is generally less than one percent by volume.
• We use a mesh net that allows smaller and immature fish to escape.
• The entire fish is rendered, thus no byproduct or offal is created.
• We voluntarily prohibit fishing on weekends and holidays in order to minimize any interference with sport fishermen.
• Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fish are banned from our processes.