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MarinTrust, the leading business to business certification programme for marine ingredients, has just released its 2019-2020 report, which shows how it has been working with a wide range of stakeholders to develop its standards and gain recognition. Upon the release of this report, Libby Woodhatch, MarinTrust’s Executive Chair noted: “These last twelve months have been phenomenal: they have seen us transition from IFFO RS to MarinTrust, achieve full ISEAL Membership and complete the new version of our Chain of Custody, which will be launched in a few days”.

Extended global outreach and new ambitions

Over the course of the last 12 months, MarinTrust was pleased to welcome 7 MarinTrust certified plants and 6 Chain of Custody certified sites. The MarinTrust programme now covers 27 countries. With over 50% of all marine ingredients produced globally now being certified under the MarinTrust programme, MarinTrust wants to raise the bar higher and reach 75% certified, in assessment or in the Improver Programme in 2025.

New standard developments

The programme will shortly include smart traceability features to keep up with the rapid changes within the market. The new version of the chain of custody will improve good manufacturing practices and the testing of social aspects at a vessel level by the end of 2021. Other further developments, such as the development of the multispecies criteria, has been progressing since the launch of a pilot in 2018, the aim being to assess the management of these very dynamic fisheries where current fishery standards can’t be applied in full.

Recognition and collaboration

A key area highlighted throughout MarinTrust’s report is also its continuous work with other standard holders that share the same objectives for responsibility in the seafood industry. Francisco Aldon, MarinTrust’s CEO, explains: “Recognition of standards is a process that involves benchmarking of clauses and systems. MarinTrust has produced a set of procedures for recognition of standards by MarinTrust, which has now been tested against the MSC, GMP+, FEMAS and PAC from Chile. MarinTrust’s relevancy in the aquaculture value chain is on the increase by being recognised by GAA’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), Global GAP and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s standards for feed production”.

Furthermore, MarinTrust has been collaborating with Global Seafood Assurances (GSA) on its new social standard - the Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard (RFVS) - and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Peruvian Sociedad Nacional de Pesquería (SNP) in 2019.

The annual report is available to download here. 

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