The Seafish Responsible Fishing Scheme (RFS) is a voluntary vessel based programme certifying high standards of crew welfare and responsible catching practices on fishing vessels.

The independently audited scheme demonstrates that a vessel and its skipper are operating to best practice in 5 core areas:

• Safety, health and welfare
• Training and professional development
• The vessel and its mission
• Care of the catch
• Care for the environment.

Established in 2006, the scheme is open to all types of fishing vessels and fisheries. The RFS was developed by Seafish to enable the skippers of RFS certified vessels to demonstrate their compliance with industry best practice and thus enable the supply chain to demonstrate its commitment to responsible sourcing by buying from such vessels.

Such assurance is increasingly being sought by the UK market thus RFS satisfies a unique and necessary function. It is the only programme certifying crew welfare and responsible catching practices on vessels, complementing other fishery-based sustainability certifications  and contributing to this sector's long term viability.

In 2014 the  scheme underwent a complete review and is being formally re-launched in mid 2015. The modified RFS will feature two vessel standards - the RFS Crewed Vessel Standard and the RFS Single Handed Vessel Standard. Vessels and their skipper will be audited against the relevant standard by the scheme's independent certification body Acoura. 

The modified RFS has been developed in accordance with the requirements of internationally recognised standard ISO17065. There is a robust Governance structure in place led by the RFS Oversight Board who are responsible for the strategic direction and objectives of the scheme.  To find out more click here.

For any enquiries please contact:

Mick Bacon, RFS Manager
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.