StandardCoCIPFIPs
152 MarinTrust
certified sites		83 Chain of Custody
certified sites		36 Improver
Programme accepted
sites		7 accepted FIPs
under the Improver
Programme

 

The data presented here are from June 2022

Contents

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Standard Developments

Certified Sites

In the last twelve months MarinTrust has been pleased to welcome twelve sites across Chile, Ecuador, Finland, Mexico, Morocco, Spain and Thailand to the MarinTrust Standard.

In this period, four companies covering a total of fourteen sites in Chile, China, Peru and Spain have joined the MarinTrust Chain of Custody Standard.

Also in this period, thirty sites have become MarinTrust Improver Programme accepted. This figure includes twenty-two sites which are already certified to the MarinTrust Standard who have also become Improver Programme accepted using raw material from the NE Atlantic Blue Whiting FIP. We are also pleased to welcome two Improver Programme accepted sites in Mauritania and one in India.

As a globally recognised standard, the MarinTrust Standard, Chain of Custody (CoC) and the Improver Programme have certified/accepted sites across the world, as shown in the map below.

 
 

Standard

 

The MarinTrust Standard: Version 3.0

The MarinTrust standard has grown tremendously since the standard’s official launch back in September 2009 and the launch of Version 2.0 in 2017. 

To ensure that the MarinTrust Programme remains relevant and fit for purpose, in accordance with the ISEAL Standard Setting Code and ISO 17065, it must be reviewed and revised on a regular basis, which is the aim of the upcoming Version 3.0. 

FA Quote

 

The new version will include a thorough review of all key stages, from the fisheries to the plants. It will strengthen the MarinTrust Fisheries Assessment Criteria for raw materials (whole fish and by-products) used for the production of compliant marine ingredients, provide an increased assurance to the traceability and integrity of MarinTrust products and take into consideration good manufacturing practices for production that is intended for human consumption.

In accordance with the ISEAL Standard Setting Code, MarinTrust shall revise the MarinTrust standard at least once every 5 years. The Terms of Reference for its development were open to Public Consultation from 12 November to 11 December 2020. A series of successful regional workshops on Version 3 development with certificate holders were held across 2021 and 2022. The feedback gathered from these workshops and from all the different committees within the MarinTrust Governance has been taken into consideration for the draft standard to be piloted with auditors in targeted producing sites (Peru, Thailand, Morocco, and Iceland) in 2022.  A Public Consultation is being held in 2023, with the aim to launch later that year. 

Find out more about the Standard

MarinTrust Chain of Custody (CoC) 

It has been 5 years since the last review and in order to maintain the credibility and relevancy of the MarinTrust Chain of Custody Standard, comply with internationally recognised credentials such as ISEAL and ISO 17065 as well as satisfying market requirements, the MarinTrust Governing Body Committee agreed with the proposal to undertake the development of the new MarinTrust Chain of Custody version.

Coc

Version 2.0 was launched in November 2020 and the transition period ended in December 2021.

The new version of the MarinTrust Chain of Custody includes new features such as:

  • New clauses that include supplier approval and monitoring systems including traders, and considering agents/brokers;
  • revised clauses including mass balance, labelling and segregation in all different activities such as initial storage, further processing (packaging, re-packaging, mixing), final dispatch and delivery;
  • introduction of sub-contractor criteria with evaluation and documented control of sub-contractors; and
  • strengthened clauses on the use of the MarinTrust claim.

MarinTrust welcomed the first site certified against its new version of the Chain of Custody standard in February 2022.

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Assurance

Assurance

Assurance Oversight system

New content has been produced to clearly explain the layers of Assurance and traceability behind the MarinTrust Standard. Explore more here.

Enhanced remote audit launched

As the need for remote auditing continues, MarinTrust allowed new applicants and high-risk facilities, as of 7th March 2022, to be audited on a partially remote basis via an ‘enhanced remote audit’. This approach underwent rigorous pilot testing with Certification Bodies to ensure its effectiveness and robustness.

Certification Body LRQA opens applications to the MarinTrust Programme

LRQA, formerly Lloyds Register, has opened a team of specialist expert auditors to the MarinTrust Programme, following a robust onboarding process and training programme. MarinTrust delivered training on their standards, procedures, mission, and vision. MarinTrust works with independent third-party accredited certification bodies, which are registered to conduct audits under the MarinTrust programme. Read more.

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Maintaining full compliance of ISEAL

As an ISEAL Code Compliant Member, MarinTrust has safeguarded the robustness and credibility of the programme and continues to work to maintain full compliance of ISEAL. As part of this, MarinTrust submitted the Assurance Code for independent evaluation for compliance in 2021, followed by the submission of Impacts Code in 2022.

The Improver Programme

The MarinTrust IP provides recognition for marine ingredients producers sourcing from a FIP fishery, and encourages fisheries sourcing to marine ingredients producers not yet meeting the conditions for the MarinTrust Standard, to implement improvements to achieve the necessary criteria.

IP

In October 2021, the MarinTrust Improver Programme (IP) welcomed the North-East Atlantic Blue whiting fishery as the first multi-state Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) on the programme.

This FIP is being led by the North Atlantic Pelagics Advocacy Group (NAPA) which is a market-led approach working to improve North Atlantic pelagic fisheries management with a specific aim to drive sustainability in these fisheries by securing an agreement on total allowable catches (TACs) in line with scientific advice, as well as long-term science-based fisheries management strategies.

In February 2022 the second multispecies pilot project Fishery Improvement Project (FIP), the Vung Tau multispecies fishery in Vietnam, was also accepted onto the Improver Programme. This, along with other complex fisheries in the South-east Asian region are helping MarinTrust develop an assessment mechanism for demonstrating responsible management of these fisheries with the aim to help satisfy the growing demand for aquaculture feed.

The IP also welcomed the first accepted production sites in Mauritania, India and Northern Europe making use of raw material from MarinTrust accepted FIPs. This ensures traceability and the good manufacturing processes of the fishmeal produced through compliance with the MarinTrust standard.

The Accepted FIP profiles pages on the MarinTrust website have now been re-vamped to provide a clearer picture of scope and progress. These profiles can be found here.

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Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)

MEL

MarinTrust continually monitors different aspects of company activities following the process flow of the Theory of Change, which is a visualisation of what MarinTrust do as an organisation (both day-to-day and over the longer term) with the aim of improving the sourcing and production of Marine Ingredients.

From this, annual reports are produced outlining the key findings of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) system including whether indicator targets have been met or not, what may have influenced these results and how we can improve on these in the following year.

After another challenging year, the annual report identifies further improvement in compliance of MEL targets, with 76% being fully met (an increase from 63% in 2020).

The main highlights and notable improvements from the 2021 MEL report include:

  • The MarinTrust Theory of Change continues to be a valid representation of the standard programme with the main driver for certification being Market Access as well as demonstrating responsibility.
  • Continued development of the Improver Programme (IP) and the work developing the Multispecies pilot project criteria has allowed for a second multispecies fishery to go through the formal IP application process (Vung Tau multispecies fishery in Vietnam). This means there are now two fisheries in South-East Asia using the same assessment and template as part of the multispecies assessment criteria development.
  • The number of FIPs accepted as part of the Improver Programme has increased to 7, with the first fishery joining as part of a Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO). The North-East Atlantic Blue whiting fishery was accepted onto the programme in October 2021. There was also an increase in IP Accepted sites during 2021, with 21 new sites in Northern Europe, 1 new site in Thailand and 2 new sites in Ecuador.
  • Although Covid-19 restrictions are continuing to impact certain regions, normal work is resuming and the programme continues to develop and gain interest from new stakeholders. This included MarinTrust staff attending and presenting at a variety of conferences, meetings and workshops across the value chain to continue to improve the visibility and awareness of the programme.
  • A new MOU was signed with the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA),owner of the BAP standard, to allow a more structured working relationship with a focus on data systems and the multispecies assessment development.

Some recommendations for MarinTrust to consider moving forward include:

  • A new external review on the MEL system scope and boundaries should be carried out to gain a wider pool of feedback. This should complement a review session to be carried out with the Governing Body Committee on the Theory of Change and specific aspects of the MEL system.
  • The ongoing development of specific social and environmental metrics within the Version 3 of the standard as well as identifying other ways of measuring impacts linked to the current standard clauses. This process should also include testing of the metric data collection in production sites.
  • Continue to work on new MOU developments, to include the mapping of staff responsible for specific objectives of each current MOU.
  • As noted in the 2021 review, MarinTrust carried out a large number of remote sessions with upstream stakeholders and other interested parties. These are invaluable to provide a clear understanding of the programme to those who may know of us but not understand what the programme does and also reach new audiences. These sessions should be continued as needed and now that travel restrictions are reducing these sessions can take place in person as well.
  • Continued development of the multispecies pilot criteria ensuring progress is maintained by both the Gulf of Thailand and the newly accepted Vung Tau FIPs.
  • Investigate in more detail other potential benefits to the programme identified by current certified stakeholders such as demonstrating traceability. These should then be reviewed in the context of the Theory of Change to see whether the process flow should be adapted.
  • Implement the recommendations made in the external review on the Improver Programme as agreed to by the IPAC. Also, continue to develop communications regarding the IP and the launching of an information video.
  • Launch the online application forms and the CRM application database system to improve efficiency of data extraction and allow more time to be spent on analysis and evaluation of data and, ultimately, improvements.
shrimp

Outreach

Despite travel restrictions until March 2022, outreach continued efficiently during this period through the delivery of webinars to industry stakeholders, other standards, and NGOs. Whereas face to face meetings at in-person conferences and events limit the interaction with one or two staff from a business or organisation, the online format has enabled access to a far higher number of staff based in numerous geographic locations.

The diversity and depth of MarinTrust's stakeholders is shown in the map below, showing primary stakeholders towards the center and secondary on the outer rings.

Stakeholders

As part of MarinTrust's outreach, a range of workshops and events were held over the last year.

MarinTrust Webinars and Workshops Events participated in
BioMarBoston Seafood Show
CargillCertification and Collaboration Ratings Surimi Working Group
CB QMS TrainingEuropean Fishmeal and Fish Oil Producers (EFFOP) Conference
European Fishmeal and Fish Oil Producers (EFFOP)Fish Waste for Profit Conference
SkrettingGOED Exchange
GlobalGapIFFO Conference (virtual)
Global Seafood Alliance (GSA)IFFO Member’s Meeting
Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI)Seafood Expo Global - Feed Panel
GOEDSeafood Taskforce
IFFO 
IP webinars in Thailand 
Lunar 
Marine Stewardship Council 
MarinTrust v3 Certificate Holder Workshops 
MarinTrust By-product Assessment & Traceability Workshops 
MarinTrust Social Responsibility Workshops 
New England Seafood International 
Seafood Legacy 
Seafood 2040 
Sustainable Seafood Coalition 
Sustainable Ocean Fund 
Waitrose 

Partnerships

As part of MarinTrust's continuing drive for improvements across the industry, we have build a wide range of partnerships and contributed to stakeholder groups. Some recent examples of these engagements are listed below.

On 2nd November 2021, The Global Seafood Alliance (GSA) and MarinTrust have signed a memorandum of understanding whereby the two organizations will work together to meet the goal of 75 percent of the world’s marine ingredients supplies being either certified, in assessment, in application or in the MarinTrust Improver Programme by 2025. Find out more

GSA
GRT

MarinTrust joined the Global Roundtable on Marine Ingredients, multi-stakeholder initiative working to drive environmental and social improvements in key fisheries globally. MarinTrust will contribute to workstreams on West African Fisheries, South and Southeast Asia Marine Ingredients and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Find out more.

Social Media

WD Group

MarinTrust is active on both LinkedIn and Twitter. LinkedIn is its major social media platform: MarinTrust has been steadily increasing its audience, from 700 followers at the end of 2021 to 1,200 followers in June 2022. Main topics are related to MarinTrust’s news updates, be it about assurances, standards developments or progress with the Improver Programme. Specific campaigns are run at specific times of the year, such as on International Women’s Day on 8th March, which, in 2022, was an opportunity to highlight the many women taking part in MarinTrust’s governance and developments.

Governance

Governance

* - Marine Ingredients Certifications Ltd (09357209) operates the MarinTrust Programme, the leading independent business to
business certification programme for the marine ingredient value chain.

To find out who sits on the MarinTrust Board and committees, click on the following 

 

The MarinTrust Board acts as the owner of the MarinTrust programme and ensures that it complies with all UK company law. The duty of the Board of Directors includes the financial viability of the company. This includes the setting of all registration fees which is done in consultation with the MarinTrust Governing Body Committee (GBC). Members are:

  • Libby Woodhatch
  • Dr Neil Auchterlonie
  • Petter Martin Johannessen
  • Brett Glencross
  • Francisco Aldon

 

The MarinTrust Governing Body Committee is a multi-stakeholder committee made up of marine ingredients producers, traders, fish feed producers, fish farmers, fish processors, retailers, marine conservation NGOs, related standards representatives, and the IFFO Technical Director. Members are:

  • Aisla Jones
  • Clarus Chu
  • Daniel Lee 
  • Dave Martin 
  • Dave Robb 
  • Duncan Leadbitter 
  • Eduardo Goycoolea 
  • Estelle Brennan 
  • Frank Trearty 
  • Humberto Speziani 
  • Libby Woodhatch 
  • Michael Lutz 
  • Michiel Fransen
  • Stelios Stampolis 
  • Tor Eirik Homme 
  • Tracy Murai

 

The Standard Steering Committee (SSC) was established to support the TAC by utilising its technical expertise to assist with the development and revision of the certification requirements and technical guidance used during the audit for the MarinTrust Certification Standards. Members are:

  • Daphne Guelker
  • Francisco Aldon
  • Geraldine Fox
  • Greg Brown
  • Jens Søgaard Jacobsen
  • Mike Platt
  • Vidar Gundersen

 

The function of the Fisheries Development Oversight Committee (FDOC) is to develop the Fishery Peer Review process and fishery approval mechanism for certification, manage technical matters relating to the development, revision and implementation of the fisheries assessment criteria of the MarinTrust Standard, including the technical relevance and appropriateness of the programme for use as a Third Party, Accredited Certification Programme. Members are:

  • Sophie Des Clers
  • Søren Anker Pederson
  • Deirdre Hoare
  • Francisco Aldon
  • Jose Peiro Crespo  
  • Conor Donnelly
  • Libby Woodhatch
  • Pedro Veiga
  • Polly Burns
  • Sam Peacock
  • Michaela Archer
  • Oliver Ashford
 

 

The MarinTrust GBC and Improver Programme Application Committee (IPAC) work together to develop and implement the MarinTrust Improver Programme (MarinTrust IP). The IPAC is an objective‐based multi‐stakeholder group, representative of fishery science, fishmeal manufacturing, the food supply chain and environment. Members are:

  • Neil Auchterlonie (Chairperson)
  • Daniel Lee
  • Duncan Leadbitter
  • Francisco Aldon
  • Indrani Lutchman
  • Pham Viet Anh
  • Trygve B. Lea

 

The MarinTrust Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) helps with the development and implementation of the MarinTrust certification programme for the marine ingredients industry. Members are:

  • Antoine Dangy 
  • Duncan Leadbitter 
  • Estelle Brennan
  • Francisco Aldon 
  • Frank Trearty 
  • Michel Kaiser 
  • Michiel Fransen 
  • Søren Anker Pedersen 
  • Trygve Berg Lea 

 

The MarinTrust Social and Ethical Committee (SEC) was established to support the TAC with the development and implementation of credible, robust and realistic criteria focusing on human rights and social welfare within the MarinTrust Programme. Members are:

  • Birgitte Krogh-Poulsen
  • Daniel Lee
  • Daphne Guelker
  • Dave Martin
  • Estelle Brennan
  • Francisco Aldon
  • Gonzalo de Romana
  • Libby Woodhatch
  • Michiel Fransen
  • Mike Platt
  • Taylor Voorhees
  • Tracy Cambridge

 

Fish Box

 

The Team

With headquarters based in London, the MarinTrust team has continued to thrive and grow with the work of the Standard. 

MT team

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New Team member: Jocelyn Amponsa-Atta

Jocelyn graduated from University of Cape Coast, Ghana with BSc honours in Biochemistry before obtaining MBA in Total Quality Management from University of Professional Studies Accra. She holds practitioner membership grade at Chartered Quality Institute. She has 8 years’ experience in practising quality assurance in pharmaceutical industry.  As a new Assurance Officer, she is responsible for robust implementation, maintenance and monitoring of MarinTrust assurance system.