166 MT certified factories_1.png    91 CoC certified factories    Improver Programme    6 accepted Fips

The data presented here are from June 2023

Contents

Standard Developments

Certified Sites

In the last twelve months MarinTrust has been pleased to welcome nine new factories acrossChile, Côte d'Ivoire, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Panama, Peru, and Vietnam to the MarinTrust Standard. In this period, four companies with facilities in Denmark, Malaysia and Spain have joined the MarinTrust Chain of Custody Standard.

Also in this period, five new sites in Denmark, Malaysia and Spain have been accepted as MarinTrust Improver Programme factory sites. Finally, there are six on-going Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) accepted under the MarinTrust Improver Programme. Find out more key figures here.

The Factory Standard: Version 3.0

MT StandardAs well as welcoming nine new factories, the MarinTrust Factory standard has taken yet more ground-breaking steps for industry with the near completion of Version 3.0 (V3). Steps have included committee reviews, the development of the by-product and whole fish fishery assessment criteria, pilots and self assessments around the world, and a public consultation. 

V3 aims to increase accessibility for responsibly sourced and produced marine ingredients and encourage the use of by-products. It will lay the foundations towards fully traceable marine ingredients and progress the Standard's focus on environmental and social impacts, both at the factory and on the vessels supplying whole fish.

FA quote

Click on the blocks below to find out more about the Standard's developments.

Development of V3

The MarinTrust Standard strives for continuous improvement and has grown tremendously since the Standard’s official launch back in September 2009 and the launch of Version 2.0 in 2017. To ensure that the MarinTrust Programme remains relevant and fit for purpose, in accordance with the ISEAL Standard Setting Code and ISO 17065, it must be reviewed and revised on a regular basis, which is the aim of the upcoming Version 3.0 (V3). V3 has involved a rigorous development process, including pilot assessments across the world and feedback from auditors, certified companies, and other key marine ingredient stakeholders to enhance the consistency and efficiency of audits. The whole process has been closely overseen by MarinTrust’s multi-stakeholder Governing Body Committee.

Raw material sourcing  

To demonstrate responsible sourcing, a MarinTrust certified facility can only use raw material (whole fish and by-product) that is MarinTrust approved, which means it has passed an assessment undertaken by a third-party Certification Body. For MarinTrust approved whole fish and by-products, MarinTrust sets the criteria to assess these raw materials.
Alongside the development of V3, MarinTrust began further development of the by-product and whole fish fishery assessment criteria. Following a comprehensive development process, including pilot assessments and feedback from certificate holders and fisheries experts. The process has been overseen by MarinTrust’s multi-stakeholder Fisheries Development Oversight Committee and Governing Body Committee. Find out more…

Review & Pilots 

A series of reviews were carried out by the MarinTrust Social, Fisheries and Technical committees, with an extensive review carried out by the Governing Body Committee before the launch of the V3 public consultation in May 2023. Pilots and self assessments were also held across the world in 2022. 

pilot quotes

Public consultation

A 60-day public consultation for Version 3 of the MarinTrust Factory Standard was launched in May 2023 to provide an important final step to engage the wider community, ensuring that Version 3 will meet expectations of all those that will use it. Along with the draft standard and surveys, a wide array of supporting information has been provided to help easily communicate the main differences between the current Version 2 and upcoming Version 3.

v2 & v3 

MarinTrust Chain of Custody (CoC) 

MarinTrust Chain of Custody (CoC) accreditation review

COCTo ensure the integrity of the MarinTrust programme, Certification Bodies (CBs) who undertake MarinTrust audits and assessment are required to be accredited under ISO/IEC 17065. CBs have to apply to national accreditation bodies to extend the scope of this accreditation to include the relevant MarinTrust standard. 

Before this can happen, each of the standards have to be independently assessed by a national accreditation body. This happens with each version of each standard.

It is a robust assessment, which includes checking the content of the standard and the validity of the development process, to ensure it is robust and fit for purpose. In addition, it ensures MarinTrust has the correct procedures and systems in place to manage the program. 

Throughout 2022 (and to present date), this assessment process has been underway with the Irish National Accreditation Body (INAB) for the Chain of Custody Standard V2.0. It has included a thorough review and assessment of all the relevant documentation, which has helped identify improvements in a number of areas. For example, improving the clarity of some of the supporting documents and the CoC clauses. 

This work continues and the next step is for the CoC Standard V2.0 to be reviewed by the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA). This provides recognition of the assessment by INAB, to ensure that any CB in any other European country can apply to extend the scope of their accreditation.  

Traceability

traceabilityThe key to implementing traceability throughout the marine ingredients value chain goes beyond its inclusion within the MarinTrust Standards and Programmes, to our wider stakeholders ensuring its inclusion and recognition in wider systems and standards. Standardising traceability can connect marine ingredient production and the food industry. MarinTrust seeks to be the central entity to accomplish this. Working closely with The Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST), the first-ever global industry standards for seafood traceability, we are shaping the inclusion of marine ingredients, while supporting the inclusion of GDST’s data requirements to enhance traceability, covering the collection, usage, transfer and management of data. 

MarinTrust has supported pilot projects in Peru and the UK to test the implementation of a full traceability system of marine ingredients from fishing to feed dispatch. These pilots have helped hone the functional requirements of traceability and identify Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) and Key Data Elements (KDEs). These pilots and next steps were discussed at a Full Traceability Workshop held in October 2022 in Lima, featuring speakers from GDST, Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI), Pesquera Centinela SAC, and led by MarinTrust. Since then, discussions have continued at SeafoodExpo Boston and Barcelona and a Norwegian Cluster webinar.

traceability quote

Assurance

AssuranceAssurance is the backbone of our work and includes different elements of the MarinTrust Programme, such as the Governance System, the Oversight System, and the Quality Management System. These elements provide confidence that marine ingredients are responsibly sourced and fully traceable and enables the MarinTrust Programme to be properly implemented, ensuring that the certification process is robust, consistent and impartial. To protect the ongoing credibility, transparency and independence of the Programme, our Assurance System has been developed in line with international requirements and guidelines (such as ISO/IEC 17067, 17065, 17021-1, 17011). The Assurance System is also independently checked against the ISEAL Assurance Code as part of MarinTrust’s ISEAL Code Compliant membership.

The MarinTrust Assurance System.

Click on the blocks below to explore developments in Assurance

Safeguards consistency in certification

The MarinTrust QMS ensures the consistent delivery and implementation of the standard through a series of documents which provide details of activities, procedures, and responsibilities of the certification process.

To ensure the continuous improvement and maintenance of a credible, robust, efficient, and relevant assurance system, this undergoes annual review taking into consideration current practice within the industry, alignment with relevant norms, and any issues identified within the system, inviting stakeholders to submit comments, suggestions, and complaints on the assurance system at any time. A range of MarinTrust Quality Management System approved procedural documents have been updated in the last year… Find out more…

Update on MarinTrust's COVID-19 policy and procedures

Following the World Health Organization’s announcement on 5th May 2023 that Covid-19 no longer represented a "global health emergency", the MarinTrust Governing Body Committee (GBC) revoked the validity of its COVID-19 specific policy, with immediate effect. This policy was underpinned by the existence of travel restrictions under local legislations. Those restrictions no longer exist in the countries where the facilities to be audited are situated.

However, MarinTrust will continue to maintain the procedure it put in place after the pandemic broke out, ensuring that the Accreditation Bodies (ABs) and Certification Bodies (CBs) who conduct the audits and grant the certificates have a process in place for the proper maintenance of accreditation and certification in case of extraordinary events. This means that MarinTrust will still be able to invoke its specific COVID-19 process in extreme circumstances when needed. MarinTrust will continue to monitor the situation and is already taking learnings of the benefits of remote auditing to incorporate this into normal practice… Find out more…

Due Diligence Guidance

Due diligence activities of feed producers and any purchasers of MarinTrust certified marine ingredients are imperative to support the traceability and integrity of MarinTrust certified products. A flow diagram was developed to further support producers and purchases, outlining some of the key steps and aspects for consideration when carrying out due diligence activities in relation to MarinTrust certified products. Find out more…

Due diligence graphic

MarinTrust Identity Preserve Model

MarinTrust has reviewed and significantly revised the Identity Preserve (ID) model to further support understanding, and to ensure ongoing relevancy, efficiency, and accuracy. This model supports access to the MarinTrust Programme by allowing applicants/certificate holder of the MarinTrust Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard to fund a marine ingredient producer to produce marine ingredients on their behalf. Version 2.0 of the ID Model will be effective from 23rd July 2023. The current version 1.1. of this procedure shall remain valid until the end of the transition period. Find out more…

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The Improver Programme

Improver ProgrammeThe MarinTrust IP is dedicated to marine ingredient production factories involved in a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP). Through a structured, timebound process, they can develop and gain recognition for their sourcing of marine ingredients, while working towards certification. Over the last year, five new sites in Denmark, Malaysia and Spain have been accepted as MarinTrust Improver Programme factory sites; and there are six on-going Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) accepted under the MarinTrust Improver Programme.

Click on the blocks below to explore the Improver Programme's developments.

MarinTrust publicly launches its Multispecies Fishery Assessment

In January 2023, MarinTrust launched an assessment framework for multispecies fisheries, designed to meet the needs of complex fisheries, such as trawl fisheries in Southeast Asia, that do not fit the conventional approach to fishery assessment. MarinTrust’s solution, a set of multispecies criteria, is a direct response to the complexities that make these fisheries difficult to manage. Major adaptations are required for these regions and their fisheries if they are to meet expectations for the sustainable supply of fish for both direct consumption and for fishmeal and fish oil.
 

dan lee

The objective of the multispecies criteria is to enable the assessment of highly complex fisheries in which as many as 300 may be regularly caught. Given the complexities, MarinTrust has begun by testing its criteria in the real world. The criteria need to measure improvements in multispecies fisheries and enable producers of marine ingredients to demonstrate progress and a commitment towards responsibly sourced raw materials. Read more…

MarinTrust welcomes the first accepted factories from India and Mauritania onto its Improver Programme

As part of the continued global growth of the Improver Programme, in June 2022, MarinTrust was pleased to announce accepted factories in India and Mauritania. This follows a demonstration of compliance to the MarinTrust standard via an audit of the production sites by a third party Certification Body (CB). 

Ecuador’s Small Pelagics Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) recognised by Premios Verdes

Ecuador’s Small Pelagics FIP, developed by the Ecuadorian National Chamber of Fisheries with the support of the Vice Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries and the Ecuadorian Public Research Institute of Aquaculture and Fisheries, was awarded a recognition alongside 499 other projects at Premios Verdes’ 10th edition in January 2023. The project was in competition with 3,026 projects from 795 cities in 33 countries and qualified as part of the Habitat and Ecosystem Conservation category.

Premios Verdes is an Ecuadorian initiative with a global scope, which started in 2013 within the International Environment Summit (CIMA) framework. Its ambition is to find, connect and amplify changemakers across the world. Read more…

From Improver Programme to full approval and certification

Several years after the Panama small pelagics fishery was accepted onto the MarinTrust Improver Programme (IP), the fishmeal and fish oil production plants sourcing from it have demonstrated full compliance and just gained MarinTrust certification.
 

IP quote

Some of the main improvements made in this fishery include a new management plan and the setting of Total Allowable Catches. An onboard observer programme was also initiated which enabled the collection of information on the size and maturity of the target species and the ecosystem impacts on endangered species. As a result of the findings of the observers’ programme, fishermen are regularly trained to release vulnerable species alive. Read more…

New Improver Programme video

To help spread the word about the important role that the Improver Programme (IP) plays in progressing responsible sourcing and production of marine ingredients, a short video was launched to engage wider stakeholders. Watch video here

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)

MELMarinTrust monitors different activities within the company in line with the Theory of Change, a visualisation of how the programme operates (both day-to-day and over the longer term). The aim of this Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) system is to identify key areas of success as well as areas that require improvements or additional scrutiny, with the overall aim of improving the sourcing and production of Marine Ingredients. Each year a report is produced outlining the key findings of the MEL system, including whether targets have been met or not, what may have influenced these results and how we can improve on these in the following year.

The 2022 report demonstrates that MarinTrust continues to increase accessibility and awareness of the programme and has made clear progress to improve data systems. The programme continues to maintain a clear standing in the global marine ingredient industry and the continued expansion of the Improver Programme demonstrates the importance of these initiatives in alignment with the certification scheme.

The main goal for MarinTrust in 2023 is the launch of version 3 of the Factory Standard. This is an important step towards further improving accessibility with improvements made to raw material sourcing requirements as well as maintaining the standards relevancy in the global supply chain. In addition, phases 1 and 2 of the CRM system implementation will be an important enhancement for MarinTrust’s internal efficiency as well as the accessibility for new and current certificate holders and IP accepted factories.

The main highlights and notable improvements from the 2022 MEL report include: 

  • The MarinTrust Theory of Change remains a valid representation of the standard programme with the main driver for certification being market access.
  • The Improver Programme (IP) continued to expand during 2022 with the acceptance of 10 new factories in Ireland, Thailand, Mauritania, India and Ecuador.
  • Continued development of the multispecies pilot project criteria with the Gulf of Thailand and Vung Tau fisheries, and a workshop with international experts has allowed for the public release of the assessment.
  • Outreach and representation at events has continued to grow following the further easing of Covid-19 restrictions and in line with the company’s strategic aims.
  • Full compliance to the ISEAL Assurance Code has been met and work is ongoing to comply with the Impacts Code.

 

Key recommendations for MarinTrust in 2023

  • Complete the incorporation of the social and environmental metrics within Version 3 of the standard following relevant amendments based on the public consultation feedback.
  • Continue to work on the GSA MOU actions and focus on reviewing the MSC MOU.
  • Maintain market awareness by continuing to provide remote and in-person workshops and webinars as requested. These continue to be invaluable to provide a clear understanding of the programme to those who may know of us but not understand what the programme does, and also reach new audiences.
  • Maintain development of the multispecies pilot criteria ensuring progress is maintained by both the Gulf of Thailand and Vung Tau FIPs. Following the scientific review and public release of the assessment criteria, work towards reviewing the assessments auditability.
  • Close out the ISEAL Impacts Code non-conformances and maintain ISEAL code compliance status.
  • Launch the online application forms and the CRM application database system to improve efficiency of data extraction and allow more time to be spent on analysis and evaluation of data and, ultimately, improvements.  

Outreach

outreachMarinTrust's stakeholders reach across the value chain and engagement is therefore happening globally through a variety of platforms and events. Over the last year, MarinTrust has taken part in events and workshops across the world, carried out visits to factories and stakeholders, and engaged directly with stakeholders on Twitter and LinkedIn. Our press engagement also continues to increase through all our projects. 

 

Events

With the world having opened back up, the MarinTrust team is back to engaging stakeholders and companies global in person and online, through events, workshops and site visits.

outreach

 

Global Seafood Alliance MOU meeting (Portsmouth, NH)

Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions (CASS) presentation

European Fishmeal and Fish Oil Producers (EFOP) presentation

FAO Thailand event

Fish Waste for Profit Conference (Iceland).

GOAL - Panel discussion on environmental impacts of feed ingredients (Seattle)

GOED Webinar

Government of Panama event (October 2022)

Grobest webinar

IFFO Members Meeting (Madrid)

IFFO Annual Conference (Lima)

Introduction session with FAO in Thailand - MS project

Labeyrie Fine Foods webinar

LRQA staff training (Edinburgh)

MarinTrust Improver Programme workshops in Vietnam and Thailand

MarinTrust V3 workshop in Lima (Peru)

NCE Blue Legasea – Norwegian Cluster, Panel discussion

North Atlantic Seafood Forum (Bergen)

Panel discussion with GDST on traceability - Seafood Expo North America (Boston)

Seafood Expo Asia – Panel discussion on the Improver Programme (Singapore)

Seafood Expo Global - Panel discussion with GDST on traceability (Barcelona)

Seafood Expo Global - Panel on the Multispecies Pilot Project  

UN Global Compact Ocean Accelerator Network Dinner

Seafood Expo Global - Surimi workshop

Partnerships

Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST)

GDSTAs well as providing supporting the inclusion of Marine Ingredients within GDST and guidance on its implementation, MarinTrust CEO Francisco has also become a member of the GDST Supervisory Board and the Technical Committee for the development of the GSA Seafood Processing Standard. We see this partnership as key to building another important step towards fully traceable marine ingredients.

Global Roundtable on Marine Ingredients

GRTMarinTrust continues to play a central role in two workstreams within the roundtable. The West Africa workstream aims to better understand the region through evidence-based information, gathered on the ground, contribute to public discussions, with a focus on food security, and assess the impacts of the industry in Mauritania and Senegal. MarinTrust work with the Improver Programme accepted sites in Mauritania has greatly assisted the project, as well as inputs into the Mauritania FIP management plan and meetings.

MarinTrust is also assisting with the South / Southeast Asia workstream, led by Global Seafood Alliance and is currently focusing on India, supporting projects to establish whether the market will help support the further development of Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) and encourage the development of processing by-product marine ingredient sources in regions where processing waste is underutilized.

Press & Social Media

Through engagement on multiple press and social media platforms, MarinTrust contributes to and leads in discussions around marine ingredients and the role of the Standards. Over the past year, MarinTrust has received 49 pieces of media coverage through press releases, interviews, and opinion editorials. Wider stakeholders were also engaged on LinkedIn and Twitter, with followers increasing by 700 to 1,900 (as of June 2023) and over 2,000 reactions on LinkedIn.

outreach coverage

Governance

governance

* - Marine Ingredients Certifications Ltd (09357209) operates the MarinTrust Programme, the leading independent business to
business certification programme for the marine ingredient value chain.

To find out who sits on the MarinTrust Board and committees, click on the following 

 

The MarinTrust Board acts as the owner of the MarinTrust programme and ensures that it complies with all UK company law. The duty of the Board of Directors includes the financial viability of the company. This includes the setting of all registration fees which is done in consultation with the MarinTrust Governing Body Committee (GBC). Members are:

  • Libby Woodhatch
  • Dr Neil Auchterlonie
  • Petter Martin Johannessen
  • Brett Glencross
  • Francisco Aldon

 

The MarinTrust Governing Body Committee is a multi-stakeholder committee made up of marine ingredients producers, traders, fish feed producers, fish farmers, fish processors, retailers, marine conservation NGOs, related standards representatives, and the IFFO Technical Director. Members are:

  • Aisla Jones
  • Clarus Chu
  • Daniel Lee 
  • Dave Martin 
  • Dave Robb 
  • Duncan Leadbitter 
  • Eduardo Goycoolea 
  • Estelle Brennan 
  • Frank Trearty 
  • Humberto Speziani 
  • Libby Woodhatch 
  • Michael Lutz 
  • Michiel Fransen
  • Stelios Stampolis 
  • Tor Eirik Homme 
  • Tracy Murai

 

The Standard Steering Committee (SSC) was established to support the TAC by utilising its technical expertise to assist with the development and revision of the certification requirements and technical guidance used during the audit for the MarinTrust Certification Standards. Members are:

  • Daphne Guelker
  • Francisco Aldon
  • Geraldine Fox
  • Greg Brown
  • Jens Søgaard Jacobsen
  • Mike Platt
  • Vidar Gundersen

 

The function of the Fisheries Development Oversight Committee (FDOC) is to develop the Fishery Peer Review process and fishery approval mechanism for certification, manage technical matters relating to the development, revision and implementation of the fisheries assessment criteria of the MarinTrust Standard, including the technical relevance and appropriateness of the programme for use as a Third Party, Accredited Certification Programme. Members are:

  • Chair:

  • Sophie des Clers (fisheries consultant)

  • Members:

  • Stella Bartolini Cavicchi (OceanMind)
  • Francisco Aldon (MarinTrust)
  • Jose Peiro Crespo (Naunet, fisheries consultant)
  • Pedro Veiga (Sustainable Fisheries Partnership)
  • Polly Burns (Marine Stewardship Council)
  • Soren Anker Pedersen (European Fishmeal and Fish Oil Producers)

  • MarinTrust secretariat:

  • Emily McGregor (MarinTrust)
 

 

The MarinTrust GBC and Improver Programme Application Committee (IPAC) work together to develop and implement the MarinTrust Improver Programme (MarinTrust IP). The IPAC is an objective‐based multi‐stakeholder group, representative of fishery science, fishmeal manufacturing, the food supply chain and environment. Members are:

  • Neil Auchterlonie (Chairperson)
  • Daniel Lee
  • Duncan Leadbitter
  • Francisco Aldon
  • Indrani Lutchman
  • Pham Viet Anh
  • Trygve B. Lea
  • Marcelo Hidalgo

 

The MarinTrust Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) helps with the development and implementation of the MarinTrust certification programme for the marine ingredients industry. Members are:

  • Antoine Dangy 
  • Duncan Leadbitter 
  • Estelle Brennan
  • Francisco Aldon 
  • Frank Trearty 
  • Michel Kaiser 
  • Michiel Fransen 
  • Søren Anker Pedersen 
  • Trygve Berg Lea 

 

The MarinTrust Social and Ethical Committee (SEC) was established to support the TAC with the development and implementation of credible, robust and realistic criteria focusing on human rights and social welfare within the MarinTrust Programme. Members are:

  • Birgitte Krogh-Poulsen
  • Daniel Lee
  • Daphne Guelker
  • Dave Martin
  • Estelle Brennan
  • Francisco Aldon
  • Gonzalo de Romana
  • Libby Woodhatch
  • Michiel Fransen
  • Mike Platt
  • Taylor Voorhees
  • Tracy Cambridge

 

The Team

With headquarters based in London, the MarinTrust team has continued to thrive and grow with the work of the Standard.

New Team members

 

Dr Emily McGregor, Fisheries Manager

Dr Emily McGregor is an environmental scientist with expertise in fisheries science and seafood certification.

Emily has a PhD from the University of Cape Town where she applied her research to support the implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries management in South Africa's sardine fishery. Emily worked at the Marine Stewardship Council focussing on the implementation and revision of the MSC's fisheries standard. More recently Emily held the role of sustainability manager for a global aquaculture company where she developed an interest in improving aquaculture feed systems. Emily was also a member of MarinTrust’s Fisheries Development Oversight Committee from 2018-2021.

Emily takes a people-centered approach to solving complex problems, like fisheries management. She believes certification is an essential tool to help everyone to contribute to making a positive difference in our oceans.

Javier Samy, Certification Programme Officer

Javier graduated from University of East London with a BA in International Business. He joined MarinTrust in 2023 in order to support the day-to-day operations of all activities relating to the MarinTrust programme.

Javier is keen to promote environmental sustainability issues and is proud to contribute to best practice in the sourcing and production of marine ingredients.

Andrea Pani, Operations Manager

Andrea has a background in hotel management. He joined IFFO in February 2019 as Office Manager and Events Coordinator. In this role, he ran day-to-day operations at IFFO London’s HQ; liaising with the Beijing and Lima Offices and coordinating the IFFO member’s meetings and annual conferences. He aims to improve the day-to-day operations of MarinTrust, implementing process improvements to increase efficiency and profitability. 

 

Bringing sustainability to our office!

zero plastic -collectionThe MarinTrust team have joined that Zero Plastic Challenge, to both practice sustainability not just in our work but also where we work. Find out more about this interesting new standard…

MarinTrust was the first seafood sector assurance scheme member of the Zero Plastic to Landfill Challenge and to the Responsible Plastic Management (RPM) Program CIC.

Zero Plastic