Get certified

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].

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Factory Standard certification processs

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1. Apply

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Apply online

Our online application process covers new applications and recertifications or scope extension applications for existing certificate holders.​

The MarinTrust secretariat conducts initial approval of the application form.

The Certification Body accepts the application form and contacts the applicant to schedule the audit date.​ ​

All recertification applications must be submitted 6 months before the certificate expiry date.

Any changes or additions to the certificate scope must be submitted at least 3 months before the scheduled audit​.

Confirm whole fish and by-products are approved​

Approved raw materials are a pre-requisite for the audit.

If an assessment of raw materials is required, the Certification Body will complete the assessment within 3 months for whole fish assessments and 1 month for by-products.​

Find a Certification Body​

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2. Get audited

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The Certification Body schedules and completes facility site audit​.

Ask the Certification Body to provide a certification timeline.

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3. Close non-conformities

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If any non-conformities are raised during the audit, the facility has up to 21 working days to submit evidence to close non-conformities.

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4. Certification decision

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All certification decisions sit with the certification body and their auditors​.

The certificate is issued to the facility and published on the MarinTrust website.​

A MarinTrust certificate is valid for 3 years, subject to successful annual surveillance audits​.

To maintain certification, the facility must undergo annual surveillance audits​.

All recertification applications must be submitted 6 months before the certificate expiry date​.

Review guidelines for certified sites. This includes the rules for the use of the MarinTrust logo and certification claims.

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Raw material assessment processes

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Whole fish assessment process

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All approved whole fish fisheries can be found here.

  1. If a new whole fish fishery assessment is required, the Certification Body receives the request for assessment​.
  2. The Certification Body completes a desk-based assessment​. Whole fish assessments take up to 3 months to complete.
  3. If required, the Certification Body will contact the facility to seek further information​. Applicants or certificate holders will have up to 30 days to respond and support providing further evidence.
  4. The Certification Body submits a draft report for external peer review via the Fisheries Assessment Peer Review Group​. External peer review is completed within 2 weeks, and peer review report sent to Certification Body. The Certification Body must respond and, if required, amend the report following peer review comments​.
  5. Certification Body then takes the approval decision​
  6. If approved, the Certification Body submits the final report which is published on the MarinTrust website​. 

Whole fish approval is valid for 3 years, subject to successful annual surveillance assessments​.

To maintain approval, annual surveillance assessments are required​.

The Certification Body may request additional information from facilities to support the continuation of approval​.

Following the initial assessment, fishery assessments are completed annually until a request from the certificate holder(s) is made (via the online application process) to remove the whole fish from the scope of their certificate.  

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By-product assessment process

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All approved by-products can be found here​.

  1. ​If a new by-product assessment is required, the Certification Body receives the request for assessment​.
  2. The Certification Body completes a desk-based assessment​. By-product risk assessments take up to 1 month to complete​.
  3. The Certification Body takes the approval decision​.
  4. If approved, the Certification Body submits the final report which is published on the MarinTrust website​

By-product approval is reviewed annually.

The Certification Body may request additional information from facilities to support the continuation of approval​.

Following the initial assessment, by-product assessments are completed annually until a request from the certificate holder(s) is made (via the online application process) to remove the by-product from the scope of their certificate.


Costs

The charges for applying to join the scheme are shown in the table below. All costs are in Pounds Sterling (£). Any alterations required after invoices have been submitted will incur a £75 administration fee.

Please note that new fees will come into effect from 1st January 2025 and that alongside the current administrative fees, the fisheries assessment fees have also been revised as these have not been changed since 1st January 2019. These revised fees will be reflected in the annual invoices, due to be sent in March 2025.  

Increases in these fees have largely been driven by inflation, along with the growth of the MarinTrust program, and will ensure that we continue to maintain our high levels of assurance, while driving continuous improvement and meet growing market demands.

Fee breakdownCurrent fees (valid until 31 December 2024)2025 fees (valid from 1 January 2025)
Annual fees  
Annual fee per company£3,210£3,435
Annual fee per facility£600£650
Scope extension or update fee (per form)£75£80
Recognition of Standards set fee (applicable to Chilean PAC only)£2,000£2,500
Whole fish fishery assessment fees (assessment completed by Certification Body)  
Whole fish fishery assessment baseline fee (initial or re-assessment cycle)£8,200£8,600
Fee per Type 1 species (Category A or B assessment)£1,500£1,800
Fee per Type 2 species (Category C or D assessment)£500£600
Whole fish fishery assessment baseline fee (surveillance cycle)£2,000£2,500
Fee per Type 1 species (Category A or B assessment)£600£690
Fee per Type 2 species (Category C or D assessment)£300£400
Whole fish verification fees (assessment completed by Certification Body)  
Whole fish verification fee per MSC certified fishery£750£900
Whole fish verification fee per facility£285£320
By-product fees  
Wild capture by-product fee per species (assessment completed by Certification Body)£500£525
Aquaculture by-product fee per species£300£350
Logo licensing fee  
Logo licensing fee per facility£300£330
On-site audit fees  
Annual fee paid to Certification BodyVariableVariable

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