WFAS Standard

The Wild & Frozen at Sea with Responsible Fishing (WFAS) standard certifies that the product comes from wild catches made by certified vessels.

The scope applies to vessels fishing with trawls, purse seines, or longlines.

To certify the origin, vessels must:

Comply with applicable fisheries control obligations.

Have the required licenses/permits for the fishing areas where they operate.

Maintain records and documentation that support traceability at source (vessel, dates, FAO area, etc.).

These requirements are aimed at preventing and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Companies that market products from certified vessels may join WFAS, provided they comply with the requirements of the Chain of Custody Manual, in order to maintain traceability and prevent mixing or substitution of certified products.

Wild Fish

Activity control and monitoring

Tracking and recording systems

In order to monitor fishing activity, vessels must be equipped with a tracking and activity recording system that allows them to document, among other things, entries/exits from fishing grounds, catches, and port calls, in accordance with applicable fisheries control regulations.

In the case of Spanish vessels, these systems may include solutions such as monitoring by the Fisheries Monitoring Center (CSP) and the Electronic Fishing Logbook (DEA).

  • Periodic recording of activity (whether there are catches or not).
  • Declarations associated with operations and landings.
  • Trip/batch identifiers that support traceability at source (vessel, dates, FAO area, etc.).
Wild Fish

Fishing permits, agreements, and conventions

REGISTRATIONS, LICENSES, AND PERMITS

Fishing activities are carried out under a framework of registrations, licenses, and permits that varies depending on the area and type of fishery. In general terms, vessels must:

  • Be registered in the corresponding official registries.
  • Have the required license and authorizations for the type of fishing and fishing grounds.
  • Have specific permits when operating outside certain jurisdictions or under effort limitations.
  • Comply with applicable agreements in third-country waters and with the regulations of the relevant RFMO (Regional Fisheries Management Organization).

 

The standard incorporates references to good social practices aligned with frameworks such as ILO Convention 188 on work in the fishing industry.