MarinTrust Identity Preserve Model

Purpose of Identity Preserve Model:

• To enable CoC facility to sponsor a (subcontracted) production facility
• To maintain the integrity, credibility, and robustness of the traceability of certified raw material and marine ingredients throughout the value chain.
• To support accessibility to the MarinTrust Programme and act as a pathway to help production facilities eventually gain certification independently.

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MarinTrust has reviewed and significantly revised the Identity Preserve (ID) model to further support understanding, and to ensure ongoing relevancy, efficiency, and accuracy. 

Version 2.0 of the ID Model will be effective from 23rd July 2023. The current version 1.1. of this procedure shall remain valid until the end of the transition period.   

The new version will be effective from 23rd July:

• All new applicants from 1st July 2023 onwards shall follow the requirements outlined in version 2.0 of the Identity Preserve Model.
• Certificate holders or applicants currently undergoing the process shall follow this procedure for their pending activities.

Full transition guidance can be found here.

To support certificate holders and applicants to understand key steps and responsibilities under the Identity Preserve Model, MarinTrust has developed overview guidance document which includes: 

• Who and what the ID Preserve Model is for 
• Key steps of the process including; application, assessment and audit, certification, and transferring to independent certification
• Key requirements for participants 
• Process flow and decision mechanism 

For further detailed information, please refer to Doc A7- Identity Preserve Model.

Key processes under the Identity Preserve Model

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Step 1: Applications  

• Participants who wish to take part in the ID Preserve model must first notify MarinTrust of their intention and submit all relevant application forms. This will include a MarinTrust CoC application form for the CoC Sponsor and MarinTrust application form for the production facility to be sponsored 

NOTE: Production facilities may only be sponsored:

• may only be sponsored by one CoC sponsor at a time
• may be sponsored for one full certification cycle (3 years) 
• may not be a sponsored facility and hold independent MarinTrust certification at the same time.

Step 2: Assessment and audit process

All assessment and audit processes are carried out in line with normal due process – please refer to document A3 and A4 for further information.

• All fishery and by-product assessments are conducted prior to the sponsored production facility audit.
• All sponsored production facilities must undergo a full audit against the MarinTrust Standard requirements
• All CoC sponsors must also undergo a full audit against the MarinTrust CoC standard requirements 

For CoC sponsors the process will vary depending on its current MarinTrust certification status as follows:

New CoC applicant: At least one sponsored production facility, will have undergone a successful audit before the CoC sponsor can undergo an initial audit.

CoC certificate holder: The sponsor CoC certificate will be updated upon successful compliance of the sponsored production facility and a trackback exercise will be carried out at the next due CoC surveillance audit. The sponsored production facility will be audited against the current MarinTrust Standard in line with its existing audit schedule.

in both cases, all fishery assessments and sponsored production facility will be carried out before to the CoC sponsor audit or current CoC certificate annex is updated. 

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Step 3: Certification 

Following successful audits of all ID model participants the CB will issue a certificate of compliance to the CoC Sponsor only, which will include an annex of the sponsored facility information and scope. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: The sponsored production facility does not receive a MarinTrust certificate. 

Step 4: Transferring to independent certification

Upon completion of the 3-year certification cycle, the sponsored production facility are required to seek independent certification by submitting a MarinTrust application form at least 6 months prior to expiry date outlined in the certificate annex of the CoC sponsor

Sponsored facilities however, may wish to transfer prior to the completion of the 3-year certification cycle. This can be done through immediate or transition transfer. 

• Option 1 - Immediate transfer: the production facility will no longer be considered part of the ID model and the CoC sponsor certificate will be updated with immediate effect. 
• Option 2 - Transition transfer: the production facility will be continue to be considered part of the ID model until the next surveillance audit due date. 

In both cases, the sponsored facility must notify its CoC Sponsor and MarinTrust of its intention and submit the MarinTrust application form at least 6 months prior to its next due surveillance audit.

The application of the sponsored facility will be considered as a new applicant and processed in line with the MarinTrust Quality Management System (QMS).

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MarinTrust logo and claim usage

MarinTrust logo/claim may only be used by the CoC sponsor. For further information, please click here.

The sponsored facility may only sell ‘MT certified’ product to its CoC sponsor and cannot use MarinTrust logo or make claims to anyone else or for any other purpose.

For further information, please refer to Doc A7- Identity Preserve Model.