Return to
What is the MarinTrust Verification process?
To enable applicants and certificate holders to use whole fish species certified by a recognised equivalent Fisheries Standard as a MarinTrust approved raw material source, the whole fish must undergo a verification process.
The MarinTrust fisheries verification process aims to protect the integrity of the supply chain and prevent the false use of recognised equivalent certification claims entering a MarinTrust certified facility. Through the verification process, MarinTrust provides an additional layer of due diligence while avoiding duplicating assessments and lowering the assessment costs.
During 2026, the fisheries verification process is undergoing review and revision. Any feedback or comments on this can be sent to [email protected].
Which Fisheries Standards are recognised?
All wild-capture Fisheries Standards successfully “GSSI recognised”, having completed the full GSSI Benchmark Process, are recognised as equivalent to the MarinTrust Whole Fish Fisheries Criteria Version 3.
- Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
- Certified Seafood International (CSI)
- Iceland Responsible Fisheries (ISF)
- MEL Japan
Find more information on the MarinTrust recognition of equivalence procedure here.
Scope of verification
The fisheries verification process only applies to the recognition of whole fish raw materials. The process does not apply to by-products.
Any by-products sourced from species certified against MarinTrust recognised equivalent Fisheries Standards must be assessed against the MarinTrust by-product assessment using an IUU Risk assessment.
Find information about the MarinTrust by-product assessment here.
Verification process for GSSI recognised Fisheries Standards and MSC certified fisheries
This verification grid shall be applied to all MarinTrust applicants and certificate holders wishing to use whole fish species certified under recognised equivalent Fisheries Standards, with the intention of seeking MarinTrust approval for their raw material sources.
Certification Scheme | Raw material Type | CoC Certified? | Outcome | Report Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GSSI-recognised Fisheries Standards (including MSC) | Whole fish | No or Not Applicable | MarinTrust verification required | Verification report |
| MSC | Whole fish | Yes (MSC CoC certificate held by MarinTrust certified /applicant facility) | Automatic recognition | None |
Find the MSC Verification Reports here.
The only path to automatic recognition at no cost is if the whole fish fishery is MSC Certified and the MarinTrust facility is also MSC Chain of Custody (CoC) certified for the same species. In all other cases, the MarinTrust verification process is required.
The costs for verification can be found here.
Note: Whole fish verified fisheries can be shared by all facilities within the same country, with associated fees shared accordingly.
Fishery verification process steps
Notes on MarinTrust Verified Approval status
Fisheries approved under the MarinTrust fisheries verification process are recognised as MarinTrust Approved and, for standard compliance, are a ‘MarinTrust recognised equivalent fishery’.
This Approval status is incumbent upon the original third-party certification being maintained. If the certified fishery loses its certification, then that fish raw material will immediately lose its Verification Approval and must undergo a full MarinTrust assessment before it can be considered compliant material. Any other changes to the fisheries certification scope, such as suspensions, changes of gear types, client groups, vessels or fishing areas, may also affect the MarinTrust Approval status and lead to loss of Approved status.
It is the responsibility of the applicant or certificate holder to inform MarinTrust or the Certification Body as soon as they are informed of any change in certification status. This applies to changes to MSC Chain of Custody Certification or a change in the status of the fishery Unit of Certification.