Athens, 16 September 2025 

MarinTrust and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise and strengthen their collaborative efforts in promoting responsible practices across the marine ingredient value chain.

Recognising the complementary nature of their missions, MarinTrust and SFP have agreed to accelerate progress towards shared goals, including:

  • Governance: Continued SFP representation on MarinTrust committees, including the Governing Body Committee, Improver Programme Application Committee, Fisheries Development Oversight Committee, and Social and Ethical Committee.
  • Joint support for initiatives such as the FAO Gulf of Thailand (GoT) Fish Project, the MarinTrust Multispecies Pilot Project, the Global Roundtable for Marine Ingredients and others.
  • FIP ratings: Integration of SFP’s Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) ratings within the MarinTrust Improver Programme, with MarinTrust contributing to review and revision processes.
  • Insight and information sharing: Exchange of data, networks, and expertise to promote best practices and avoid duplication. This includes the use of FishSource data for MarinTrust certificate applications and exploring the use of the FAO Global Record of Stocks and Fisheries (GRSF) identifiers.

MoU signing

Libby Woodhatch, Executive Chair of MarinTrust, commented:
"This MoU marks a significant step forward in our longstanding relationship with SFP. By aligning our efforts, we can more effectively drive improvements in marine ingredient sourcing, traceability and production, ultimately benefiting ecosystems, communities and the users of marine ingredients such as the global aquaculture sector, the omega-3 nutraceutical industry and the pet food sector."

Dave Martin, Deputy Division Director at SFP, added:
"We are delighted to formalise our collaboration with MarinTrust, which started a long time ago and has resulted in fruitful projects such as the Multispecies Pilot Project and the Gulf of Thailand (GoT) Fish Project. Together, we can amplify our impact and accelerate progress towards a more sustainable and equitable seafood supply chain."

MarinTrust is the leading independent certification programme dedicated to advancing best practice in the responsible sourcing, traceability, and production of marine ingredients.

SFP is a global marine conservation organisation working to ensure healthy oceans and sustainable seafood for all, leveraging the influence of seafood buyers and retailers to drive improvements in fisheries and aquaculture.

 

About Sustainable Fisheries Partnership

Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) is working toward a world where all fisheries and aquaculture are improving and everyone has access to responsibly sourced and produced seafood. We work across the entire seafood value chain, from the world’s largest retailers to artisanal fishers, to find practical solutions to difficult problems. In everything we do, we focus on impact, to help ensure abundant fisheries, healthy marine and coastal ecosystems, and resilient fishing communities. Through our strong relationships with the seafood industry and the catch sector, we leverage the power of retailers, seafood buyers, and their supply chains to drive change in fisheries and aquaculture regions around the world. We bring industry together with NGOs, governments, fishers, and scientists, and then share our tools and expertise to help them find creative, collaborative solutions that work for everyone. Visit us at www.sustainablefish.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

About MarinTrust

MarinTrust is a programme dedicated to marine ingredient production factories, allowing them to gain recognition for their responsible sourcing, traceability and production of marine ingredients. The Factory Standard (MarinTrust Standard) covers the sourcing and production of marine ingredients at the factory. The unit of certification is the factory, but the Standard ensures that the ingredients come from non-IUU fisheries that are well managed in accordance with the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. It guarantees that production is carried out to high standards of safety and quality, with sufficient care given to the environment, workforce and local community. The MarinTrust Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard allows businesses in the supply chain to be recognised for their use of MarinTrust certified ingredients. These can include processors, packers, storage providers, oil refiners and traders, who can demonstrate that the marine ingredients come from a MarinTrust certified factory, maintaining full traceability throughout the value chain. The Improver Programme (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. Visit us at www.marin-trust.com

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