MarinTrust, the independent business to business certification program for the marine ingredient value chain, has been accepted as a full member of ISEAL, the global membership organization for sustainability standards.

As an ISEAL Member, MarinTrust will be required to demonstrate and maintain full compliance with ISEAL codes of good practice. Responsible fishmeal and fish oil sourcing and manufacturing are vital to continually raise standards in the marine ingredients sector. Huge progress has been made to improve the sustainability of the industry since MarinTrust was created in 2009.

Libby Woodhatch, MarinTrust executive chair, said that “MarinTrust joined ISEAL as an associate member in 2018 by undergoing an evaluation against the baseline criteria of ISEAL’s codes of good practice. It has been systematically tracking progress and driving improvement in terms of monitoring, evaluation and learning, as well as risk management and data management systems. To date, over 50% of all marine ingredients produced globally are certified under the MarinTrust program and our ambition is to raise the bar higher. MarinTrust’s Membership of ISEAL is a further endorsement, as ISEAL is home to the world’s leading sustainability standards. I’d like to thank everyone who helped us achieve this recognition, especially the MarinTrust team who has been doing an amazing job.”

The MarinTrust program covers three key elements. First, the responsible sourcing and production of fishmeal and fish oil are assessed by the MarinTrust standard with the fishmeal and fish oil factory being the unit of certification. Second, the program goes beyond the plant to assess both sourcing and traceability of compliant fishmeal and fish oil plants throughout the supply chain. This is done through the MarinTrust Chain of custody. Third, the MarinTrust improver program provides a mechanism by which fisheries that do not currently meet the MarinTrust requirements can work towards approval for certification.