Return to Today, MarinTrust, the leading programme dedicated to marine ingredient production factories, allowing them to gain recognition for their sourcing and production of marine ingredients globally, is launching an open public consultation on the revision of its Factory Standard.
The 60-day public consultation for Version 3 of the MarinTrust Factory Standard is running from 4th May to 3rd July 2023. Feedback will be taken into account before the launch of Version 3 of the factory Standard, due to take place in October 2023.
This revision aims to increase accessibility for responsibly sourced and produced marine ingredients and encourage the use of by-products. It will lay the foundations towards fully traceable marine ingredients and progress the Standard's focus on environmental and social impacts, both at the factory and on the vessels supplying whole fish.
Libby Woodhatch, Executive Chair of MarinTrust, says:
“Each year, around six million tonnes 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 recognised 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 standardised data both on environmental and social performance and to progress the use of 100% of fish. In order to get there, we need to strengthen the Standard’s risk assessment criteria and management controls for both whole fish and by-products. I invite everyone to share their views so we continue to deliver a high level of assurance”.
This consultation 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 pilots 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”, adds Francisco Aldon, CEO of MarinTrust.
The whole process has been closely overseen by MarinTrust’s multi-stakeholder Governing Body Committee.
This consultation is an important final step to engage the wider community, ensuring that Version 3 will meet expectations of all those that will use it.