MarinTrust Standard

The MarinTrust Standard is an initiative of Marine Ingredients Certifications Ltd. and has been developed as a credible, robust tool that enables producers of raw materials in the fishmeal and fish oil industry to demonstrate responsible practice. It was formerly known as the IFFO RS Standard.

MarinTrust holds the biggest share of the market, with approximately half of the world’s production now MarinTrust compliant. This helps to support sustainable market growth and decrease the industry’s impact on the environment.

The original IFFO RS Standard was launched in September 2009, and the first certificate was awarded in February 2010. The Standard has since been regularly revised in compliance with ISEAL, the global membership organisation for credible sustainability standards. This ongoing process ensures that the Standard remains accessible, credible and relevant to industry needs, and in particularly that the assessment process continues to be robust.

Revisions are undertaken by a Technical Advisory Committee that represents the entire value chain, including marine ingredient producers, feed processors, fisheries and aquaculture standard holders, retailers, fisheries experts and NGOs. Revisions are also subject to a public consultation period in line with ISEAL codes for standard development.

The current MarinTrust Standard is the original IFFO RS Version 2.0 that was launched on 18 July 2017, following approval by the IFFO RS Governing Body Committee. The next review of the standard is open to public consultation from 12 November to 14 December 2020, for launch in 2022.

The MarinTrust Standard ensures the following:

  • Eradication of Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing material being used as MarinTrust approved raw material.
  • Raw materials used in the production of marine ingredients are sourced from responsibly managed fisheries; the MarinTrust Standard assures that marine ingredients are sourced in fisheries which are respectful of quota settings and managed according to these settings.
  • Marine ingredients are produced responsibly, ensuring product segregation at all stages of the value chain.
  • Certified plants comply with all the environmental regulations of the land where they operate in relation to emissions to air, discharge to water, release of toxic or hazardous substances, noise, smell and dust pollution, ground pollution. 
  • Safe manufacture of marine ingredients through Good Manufacturing Practice.
  • Effective traceability systems are in place to ensure that the MarinTrust compliant marine ingredients can be traced back to the approved MarinTrust raw material fishery.
  • Social and welfare rights of employees in marine ingredient producing factories are protected; certified plants comply with the country’s fundamental social regulations and with legislations set by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
  • Impacts of the plants on local communities are assessed; certified plants must have a system in place to record complaints and discussions with management so as to ensure that action plans are in place to address potential issues.

Certification against the MarinTrust Standard is achieved through rigorous factory audits and fisheries assessments, and maintained through annual surveillance audits. This work is undertaken wholly by independent Certification Bodies, which are ISO compliant and approved by MarinTrust. 

Following approval, certified factories are permitted to use the unique certification mark “MarinTrust Assured” to signify compliance and commitment to the MarinTrust Standard.

Full details of the current MarinTrust Standard can be found here.

Full details pertaining to the development and different versions of the Standard can be found here.

To see a full list of current MarinTrust certified plants, click here.

If you have any queries, please contact us at standards@marin-trust.com.