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Although MarinTrust’s unit of certification is the factory, assessing by-product species is an essential prerequisite for the responsible sourcing of raw materials used in marine ingredients. When applying, each company must specify the species that each factory uses so they can be assessed and, if approved, correctly listed in the certificate scope.
By-products that come from the same fishery (species, fishing area, fishing method, etc.) under a MarinTrust approved whole fish assessment are automatically approved.
Transition to Version 3
To support a smooth transition to MarinTrust Standard V3, the validity of V2 By-Product reports has been extended for eligible species and facilities listed in this Extension Document.
Beginning May 1st, 2024, new applicants and re-certifications to Version 3 of the MarinTrust Standard will have their by-product species assessed against Version 3 by-product criteria, while currently approved by-products will continue under Version 2 until May 1st, 2025.
Auditors conducting V2 facility audits before May 1st, 2025, must verify by-product raw material assessments against V2, not V3. All by-products in 2025 will be assessed against V3, however, this may take place after facilities have undergone a V2 audit. Therefore, to support a smooth transition to MarinTrust Standard V3 while maintaining programme integrity, MarinTrust and Fishery Certification Bodies have granted a variation to extend the validity of eligible V2 by-products.
This extension applies only to species and areas listed in Table 1 contained in this extension document and facilities undergoing a V2 audit between January 1st and 1st May 2025.
The extension of by-product validities is a live document. MarinTrust will maintain and update this list during the transition period. Auditors shall refer to Table 1 of the extension document to confirm the extended validity of individual by-products at the time of audit.
Important note: V3 by-product assessment outcomes will supersede previous assessment outcomes under V2. Should the outcome of this assessment be different to the previously approved scope, the facility certificate will be immediately updated to reflect this.
For full details on this and other clarifications relating to V3 Fishery and By-Product Assessments, please refer to this Supporting information document.
To read more about the transition to Version 3 out more here.
MSC recognition
MarinTrust recognises the status of MSC certifications and wants to simplify the process for those certificate holders who receive MSC certified raw materials. By-products from these fisheries can be recognised as MarinTrust compliant.
To read more about MSC recognition find out more here.