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Starting from 1 May 2024, all new applications must adhere to Version 3 of the MarinTrust Standard for Responsible Supply of Marine Ingredients (Factory Standard). Current certificate holders have until 1st May 2025 to transition from Version 2 to Version 3 of the standard. To understand the transition better, explore the details here. To ensure readiness for your audit, carefully review the relevant standard and supporting documents available for both Version 2 and Version 3.
If you have any queries regarding the application process, please contact us at
[email protected].
Understanding certification costs
The fees below apply from 1 January 2026 and are listed in Pounds Sterling (£), excluding VAT where applicable.
Mandatory annual certification costs
Applicants and certificate holders must pay both MarinTrust fees and Certification Body audit costs when applying for and maintaining certification.
Annual MarinTrust fees:
- Company Registration Fee
- Factory Registration Fees
- Logo/Claim Licensing and Monitoring Fees
Annual Certification Body audit fee:
- Quoted by the Certification Body
- Payable directly to the Certification Body
Additional MarinTrust fees
Additional fees may apply depending on the application scope, raw materials, subcontractor, fishery assessments, verification requirements or scope extension requests.
When additional fees may apply
- add a subcontractor facility;
- add or amend by-products or whole fish fisheries;
- amend vessel flag countries for already approved by-products;
- request a Certification Body transfer;
- amend invoicing or primary contact details;
- require fishery or factory verification;
- submit another change to the application or certification scope.
Scope extension requests
Once an application has been accepted by the Certification Body, or once a facility is certified, any request to add or amend elements within the application or certification scope must be submitted as a scope extension request through the MarinTrust online portal.
A £100 scope extension fee will apply to each scope extension request. Additional fees may also apply where the request includes chargeable items, such as adding a subcontractor facility, adding or amending by-products or whole fish fisheries, amending vessel flag countries, or requiring fishery or factory verification.
Mandatory annual fees and audit costs
| Item | 2026 fee | Charging basis |
|---|---|---|
| Company Registration Fees | £3,610 | Per company |
| Factory Registration Fees | £690 | Per factory / facility |
| Logo/Claim Licensing and Monitoring Fees | £360 | Per factory / facility |
| Facility Audit | Variable | Quoted by and payable directly to the Certification Body |
Pro-rata invoicing for new applicants
When a new application is approved, MarinTrust issues an initial invoice covering 12-month period from the application approval date.
If the applicant becomes certified during that initial invoice period, MarinTrust will issue a pro-rata invoice from the day after the initial invoice period ends until 31 December of that year. This aligns the certificate holder with the normal annual invoicing cycle.
The pro-rata calculation applies to mandatory annual certification cost only. Any applicable additional fees are charged in full according to the relevant fee schedule.
After the pro-rata period, the certificate holder will enter the normal annual invoicing cycle, which runs from 1 January to 31 December each year. At that point, mandatory annual certification costs and any applicable additional fees will be invoiced as part of the normal annual cycle.
Example scenario
- Application approved: 8 September 2026
- Initial invoice period: 8 September 2026 to 7 September 2027
- Certification achieved during the initial invoice period
- Pro-rata invoice period: 8 September 2027 to 31 December 2027
- Pro-rata calculation: mandatory annual certification costs only
- Applicable additional fees: charged in full according to the fee schedule
- Normal annual invoicing cycle starts: 1 January 2028
Additional fees – only where applicable
| Item | Fee | Charging basis |
| Subcontractor Facility Registration Fee | £150 | Per subcontractor facility |
| By-Product Assessment Fee – Wild Caught | £550 | Per species |
| By-Product Fee – Aquaculture | £370 | Per species |
| Amendment of Vessel Flag Countries for already approved species | £150 | Per update to an existing report |
| Fishery Verification | £1,000 | Per verification request |
| Factory Verification | £350 | Per factory verification |
| Scope Extension Fee | £100 | Per request, plus any applicable fees for additional or amended items |
| Recognition of Standards | £3,000 | Where applicable |
Annual raw material confirmation
Each year, MarinTrust contacts certificate holders to confirm whether they wish to maintain, add, amend, or remove raw materials from their certification scope.
If no changes are requested, it is assumed that the certificate holder wishes to maintain the same approved raw materials, and the relevant annual assessment activity and associated fees will continue to apply.
This applies to Whole Fish Fisheries Assessments and Wild-Caught By-Product Assessments. Aquaculture by-product do not require a MarinTrust assessment, but fees may apply when adding aquaculture by-products to the certification scope.
Whole Fish Fisheries Assessment Fees
These fees apply where a whole fish fishery assessment is required.
The Initial Assessment fee applies to:
- New applicants requiring a whole fish fishery assessment;
- Current certificate holders requesting assessment of a new whole fish fishery that is not already approved.
Sharing the cost of a new whole fish fishery assessment
Where a new whole fish fishery assessment is required, MarinTrust recommends that applicants consider whether other production facilities in the same country are also interested in applying for MarinTrust certification using thesame whole fish fishery.
Where more than one applicant from the same country requires the same new whole fish fishery assessment, the assessment cost may be shared equally between the applicants.
This can help reduce the cost for each applicant, while ensuring that the required fishery assessment is completed.
Example
If a new whole fish fishery assessment costs £10,700 and 4 applicants from the same country require the same assessment, the cost would be shared equally:
£10,700 ÷ 4 applicants = £2,675 per applicant
New applicants using an already approved whole fish fishery assessment report
Where a new applicant includes a whole fish fishery that is already approved by MarinTrust, the applicant is not charged the full cost of a new assessment.
Instead, the applicant is charged a pro-rata proportional share of the approved assessment report cost, based on the number of companies using that report, plus a 20% uplift in the first year.The 20% uplift recognises that the original applicant funded the report before other companies were able to benefit from it.
In the following annual cycle, once the company is already included in the report, the fee is calculated without the 20% uplift.
How the fee is calculated
First year joining an approved whole fish fishery assessment report:
- Fee = pro-rata proportional share of the approved assessment report cost + 20% uplift
Following annual cycles:
- Fee = approved assessment report cost÷ number of companies using the report
Example
An approved whole fish fishery assessment report has a cost of £10,700 and is used by 4 companies.
A new applicant is added to the report from 1 September.
- Calculate the annual share: £10,700 ÷ 4 companies = £2,675
- Calculate the pro-rata share: September to December = 4 months. £2,675 ÷ 12 months × 4 months = £891.67
- Add the 20% uplift: 20% of £891.67 = £178.33
Total first-year fee: £891.67 +£178.33 = £1,070
In the following annual cycle, the fee would be calculated without the 20% uplift.
Where categories are not confirmed at the application stage, MarinTrust will initially invoice the Base Line fee plus one Category A fee. If the assessment report confirms additional categories, a follow-up invoice will be issued.
For existing approved whole fish fisheries, the cycle is:
- Year 1: Re-approval
- Year 2: Surveillance
- Year 3: Surveillance
- Year 4: Re-approval
Whole Fish Fisheries Assessments Fees (Initial and Re-approval) | |
| Base Line | £8,800 |
| Category A | £1,900 |
| Category B | £1,900 |
| Category C | £650 |
| Category D | £650 |
| Whole Fish Fisheries Assessments Fees (Surveillance) | |
| Base Line | £3,000 |
| Category A | £790 |
| Category B | £790 |
| Category C | £480 |
| Category D | £480 |