About Improver Programme

The MarinTrust Programme is an initiative of Marine Ingredients Certifications Ltd. that includes the MarinTrust Improver Programme (IP). The IP was developed by the MarinTrust Governance Board, with the aim of encouraging factories not yet meeting the criteria for the Standard, due for example, to a lack of fisheries management or factory infrastructure and operational issues, to implement timely improvements, fulfil the criteria, and gain certification to the Standard.

Once accepted onto the Improver Programme, applicants have a structured improvement journey for the fishery mapped out with agreed milestones and a timeframe that must be met in order to  become MarinTrust certified.

Want to learn more? Additional details about the programme and specific information for different stakeholders can be found further down this page.

History

The MarinTrust and its Governance Board became aware that despite the initial success of their Standard, a lot of marine ingredient producers failed to meet the criteria. Reasons for this included operational issues within a factory, or with raw materials and their associated fisheries. Many of these producers are based in Asia, which is rapidly increasing aquaculture potential. This means that local companies wishing to use MarinTrust certified ingredients have to import at a higher cost, contributing to local poverty.

Main Objective

The solution was to develop a credible and robust structured programme of improvements for producers, in line with the MarinTrust Standard, to allow accepted Improver Programme factories to reach the standard within a defined timeframe.

Application Process

The application process for the MarinTrust Improver Programme can be found here:

The MarinTrust Improver Programme Covid-19 statement

FIPs: All timelines associated with MarinTrust FIPs are still applicable and applicants are expected to provide annual milestone reports with evidence of compliance in line with the IP assurance checks. Any milestones that have been impacted by Covid-19 should be reported on as normal, with information and relevant evidence of any delays being provided. Any decisions regarding Covid-19 delays will be made on a case-by-case basis for each FIP via the peer review process and the Improver Programme Application Committee (IPAC).

Site audits: Site audits as part of the MarinTrust Improver Programme (IP) will follow the MarinTrust standard Covid-19 policy which can be found here. Audits may be applicable, via the risk assessment process, for a remote audit should all extension timelines be exhausted. No initial audits as part of the IP may take place remotely at this time.

What is the MarinTrust Improver Programme?

The MarinTrust Improver Programme (IP) is a structured, timebound process, through which marine ingredient production factories sourcing from improving fisheries (i.e. Fishery Improvement Projects) can gain recognition of their production. It is not a standard and does not allow certification claims.

It is intended for fisheries which do not meet the requirements of the MarinTrust standard, one of which being that the raw material used for production is approved against the MarinTrust Fishery Assessment.

The MarinTrust IP provides a process through which an improvement plan for the fishery can be developed and accepted. The production site may then apply to use this improvement raw material as part of the IP and must pass the MarinTrust site audit in order to gain acceptance onto the programme. 

Once accepted onto the Improver Programme, the fishery the site is sourcing from has a structured improvement journey mapped out with agreed milestones and a timeframe that must be met in order to maintain IP recognition.

What is the difference between the Improver Programme (IP) and a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP)?

Fishery Improvement Projects are used to facilitate improvements within a fishery no matter where that fish is going to. If the fish is being used in marine ingredient production, then the MarinTrust IP offers recognition of that marine ingredient production while encouraging the supply chain to be involved in the improvement efforts at the fishery level. 

This ensures improvements in fisheries supplying into the supply chain are benefiting a broader range of stakeholders as well as gaining support from these.

The MarinTrust IP provides assurances to your buyers and their buyers that the raw material entering the supply chain is fully traceable from the fishery.

What claims can a marine ingredient production site make once they are accepted onto the IP?

IP Accepted production sites must comply with the MarinTrust Improver Programme Accepted Sites Claims agreement which can be found here. The production sites are the only unit that can make an Improver Programme claim at this stage. The specific claims that can be made include:

  • [insert accepted factory name] is a MarinTrust Improver Programme Accepted Site.
  • [insert approved ingredient ie Fishmeal, Fish Oil] comes from a MarinTrust Improver Programme Accepted site/factory that has been independently verified to meet the requirements of the Improver Programme.
  • This [insert approved ingredient ie Fishmeal, Fish Oil] is accepted, as part of the Fishery Improvement Programme (FIP) scope, under the MarinTrust Improver Programme.

It is important to note that this claim can ONLY be made on marine ingredient production using the FIP raw material. If this is mixed with non-assessed raw material at any time during production, the claim is lost. If IP production is mixed with MarinTrust certified production then the certification claim is lost and only an IP claim can be made.

What claims can be made if Improver Programme marine ingredients are mixed with other marine ingredients?

IP mixing table

What happens once a production site is accepted onto the MarinTrust IP?

For the production site to maintain compliance to the IP, they must comply with the following:

  • The Accepted FIP they are sourcing from must comply with the Fishery Action Plan and pass annual reporting and peer reviews of this reporting. This is checked each year via the peer review process outlined in the diagrams below:

FIP progress

FIP reporting

  • The production site must continue to comply with the MarinTrust audit requirements following the 3 year audit cycle.

What should the IP production sites do once the FIP timeline comes to an end?

The aim of the MarinTrust IP is to provide recognition for production sites while the fishery they are sourcing from improves. Therefore, once the fishery has reached the level of being able to become MarinTrust Approved, the production site should apply for MarinTrust Certification. This process is outlined here.

Why are IP accepted sites not automatically transitioned onto certification?

In order to maintain integrity and robustness of the programme, the site must go through the full application process for certification and be audited by an independent third party certification body. In accordance with application procedures, the fish being used as a raw material for marine ingredient production must comply with the full fishery assessment which may not have been carried out for a few years while the improvements were being made in the fishery.

If the production sites decide not to apply for certification, or if the fishery fails the approval assessment, the site loses all recognition and can no longer claim to be MarinTrust IP Accepted.

What claims can other stakeholders make?

Accepted Production sites – see earlier section

MarinTrust Accepted FIPs – I am a stakeholder as part of a MarinTrust Accepted FIP.

Feed mill (other CoC) – I am purchasing MarinTrust IP material. No claim can be made on further production or further along the supply chain unless MarinTrust Chain of Custody (V2.0) certification is held.

Read more about the Improver Programme, its benefits and how to apply, by selecting the category which applies to you:

1/ I am a marine ingredient producer

2/ I purchase, transport or store marine ingredients

3/ I am a buyer

4/ I am a retailer

5/ I am involved with a fishery sourcing into the marine ingredient supply chain

1/ I am a marine ingredient producer, what are the benefits of the IP?

  • Gain recognition for marine ingredients produced using FIP raw material.
  • Demonstrate compliance to the MarinTrust standard (with the exception of the whole fish raw material source)
  • Demonstrate commitment to sourcing from fishery improvement projects where there is no approved fish available.
  • Demonstrate commitment to work towards certification of marine ingredient production.

There are two requirements for applicants wishing to be MarinTrust Improver Programme Accepted:

  • The marine ingredient production site must be a signed stakeholder in, and be sourcing from, an accepted MarinTrust FIP.
  • The production site must pass a MarinTrust site audit by a third-party certification body using MarinTrust Accepted FIP raw material.

The full application process is outlined in the below flow diagram:

MT IP flow

2/ I purchase, transport or store marine ingredients, what are the benefits of the IP?

  • Gain recognition for sourcing IP marine ingredients produced using FIP raw material.
  • Demonstrate commitment to sourcing from producers using fishery improvement project raw material.
  • Demonstrate commitment to traceability of IP products produced using FIP raw material.

3/ I am a buyer, why should I purchase MarinTrust Improver Programme marine ingredients?

I am a feed producer using marine ingredients:

  • MT IP can allow producers to demonstrate traceability of IP material from the fishery to the MI producers.
  • If a company has CoC V2.0 they can also demonstrate continued traceability of that product.

How can a feed mill sourcing from a marine ingredient production facility apply to use MarinTrust Improver Programme products?

  • Be a signed stakeholder in the MarinTrust Accepted FIP.
  • Demonstrate commitment to sourcing from an improving fishery by becoming MarinTrust Chain of Custody Certified (V2.0).

The full application process for MarinTrust Chain of Custody V2.0 can be found here.

CoC

4/ I am a retailer sourcing from the marine ingredients supply chain:

  • If you are sourcing from a MarinTrust IP production site, this provides assurances that that site is sourcing from a MarinTrust Accepted FIP and has successfully passed a MarinTrust site audit using that raw material.
  • The MarinTrust IP claim can only be used further along the supply chain if the companies along that supply chain have MarinTrust CoC V2.0 which provides the assurance that that product has not been mixed or anything has been added to it following the original production.

5/ I am involved with a fishery sourcing into the marine ingredient supply chain

The MarinTrust IP provides assurances that the raw material entering the supply chain is fully traceable from the fishery.

To get involved in the MarinTrust Improver Programme, the first step is to start a discussion with your buyers to identify the market needs and requirements of your raw material. Once these relationships have been built you can contact MarinTrust who can provide detailed information about the programme, the requirements and the benefits. Full details of the application process can be found in this document and also on our website here.

If you have any questions about any information on this page, please contact standards@marin-trust.com.

For any press enquiries, please contact communications@marin-trust.com.