BMT Surveys, maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy, has been engaged by Friend of the Sea to investigate whether specialised reefer vessels comply with the broad set of requirements to qualify for certification.
A non-profit and non-governmental organisation (NGO), the primary goal of Friend of the Sea is protection and conservation of a sound, sustainable and eco-friendly marine habitat in the oceans of the world. To help deliver its mission, the NGO introduced a certification project, the Friend of the Sea eco-label, for companies that demonstrably operate sustainably and eco-friendly in the worldwide fishing sector including cargo vessels. A recent addition is the specialised reefer vessels transporting fish and fish products from the place where they come ashore to their final destination, anywhere in the world; this is where BMT Surveys expertise has been drawn on.
BMT undertakes the investigation in two stages: firstly, verifying the certificates and other relevant documents required for obtaining and maintaining the eco-label. Secondly, each ship is audited onsite every couple of years by BMT’s expert inspectors, to determine whether all the environmental and sustainability requirements are also met on board.
Director, Jeroen de Haas comments:
“This commission recognises the knowledge and expertise of BMT’s operating standards in the maritime industry. We are also pleased to contribute to a sustainable and increasingly eco-friendly society. Conservation of the natural habitat in the oceans of the world is very dear to the organisation.”
Source: BMT Group
