MarinTrust launches consultation on upgrade of its factory standard

This revision aims to increase accessibility for responsibly sourced and produced marine ingredients and encourage the use of by-products, laying the foundations towards fully traceable marine ingredients and progressing the standard's focus on environmental and social impacts, both at the factory and on the vessels supplying whole fish.

The 60-day public consultation​​ for Version 3 of the MarinTrust Factory Standard is running from May 4 to July 3 this year.

Libby Woodhatch, executive chair, MarinTrust, said: “Each year, around six million tons of marine ingredients, mostly fishmeal and fish oil, are produced globally, half of which are, to date, certified against the MarinTrust standard. Our ambition is that marine ingredients are recognized as the best and most important source of animal and human nutrition. We want the marine ingredients value chain to be able to rely on standardized data both on environmental and social performance and to progress the use of 100% of fish.

"To get there, we need to strengthen the standard’s risk assessment criteria and management controls for both whole fish and by-products."

She said broad stakeholder feedback will play in key role in ensuring that goal. 

The consultation, said the team, comes towards the end of a rigorous development ​​process, which started back in 2018, including pilot assessments across the world and feedback from key marine ingredient stakeholders to enhance the consistency and efficiency of audits.

“From Peru to Chile to Thailand to South Africa to Iceland, marine ingredient producers underwent two-day pilot assessments to put the draft Version 3 through its paces. Meanwhile, companies in Denmark, Peru and Chile carried out self-assessments to home in on any parts of the standard which needed clarifying and polishing," added Francisco Aldon, CEO of MarinTrust.

The entire revision process has been overseen by MarinTrust’s multi-stakeholder governing body committee.

MarinTrust was formerly known as IFFO RS. 

IFFO RS was originally founded by IFFO, the marine ingredients organisation, in 2009. The rebranding campaign acknowledged the certification program’s journey, undertaken in 2014, to a separate entity with its own governance structure, articles, purposes and budget. As a business-to-business independent third-party-audited certification programme, MarinTrust says it aims to champion best practices within the marine ingredients industry.