Lake District Coast Aquarium Obtains Sustainable Aquaria Certification from Friend of the Sea

UK aquarium meets standards for marine animal welfare as well as sustainable attitudes and behaviors

MILAN—MAY 27, 2019—Friend of the Sea, the leading certification standard for products and services that respect and protect the marine environment, announced today that the UK’s Lake District Coast Aquarium has obtained the organization’s Certification for Sustainable Aquaria. The certification is based on an aquarium’s proven commitment to marine animal welfare as well as sustainable attitudes and behaviors.

“We are very pleased to welcome the Lake District Coast Aquarium to the ranks of Certified Sustainable Aquaria,” said Paolo Bray, Director of Friend of the Sea. “In obtaining this certification, they can inspire people to be more aware of the environment as they learn about marine life.”

To qualify for the Friend of the Sea’s Sustainable Aquaria certification, an aquarium must adhere to a number of standards and implement environmental policy principles. These include not keeping birds, mammals or reptiles in captivity, training staff on animal welfare and providing scientific information for each wildlife display. Further, the aquarium has to practice sound waste and energy management and align its practices with social accountability.

The Lake District Coast Aquarium is located in Maryport in the UK. The 22-year-old aquarium specializes in displays of local temperate marine life with some highlights being a lobster hatchery, a shark and ray pool, a jelly fish environment, and a rock pool. Species diversity has increased over the years to include numerous local freshwater displays and several tropical freshwater and tropical marine tanks. An integral education suite with film theatre highlights environmental issues. The Aquarium also has fun activities like “crazy” golf, a gift shop and a café. “It’s an honor to be recognized with this certification,” said Mark Vollers, Director of the Lake District Coast Aquarium. “We believe in the mission of Friend of the Sea, so it was worth the effort to attain this validation of our practices.”

About Friend of the Sea

Friend of the Sea, a project of the World Sustainability Organization, awards sustainable practices in Fisheries, Aquaculture, Fishmeal and Omega 3 Fish Oil. The organization promotes pilot projects related to restaurants, sustainable shipping, whale and dolphin-watching, aquaria, ornamental fish, UV creams and others. It is the only sustainable fisheries certification program recognized and supervised globally by a National Accreditation Body.

For more information, visit https://friendofthesea.org/

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