MarinTrust, founded in 2009, is an independent third-party certification organization dedicated to improving responsible fishery sourcing and production of marine ingredients on a global scale. Operating internationally, MarinTrust empowers marine ingredient producers and users to demonstrate their commitment to responsible sourcing, traceability, and production practices.
Why MarinTrust?
As market demands for responsible products continue to grow, MarinTrust provides industry-driven guidance tailored to the complex seafood sector. Their robust and trusted certification process involves third-party audits and assessments that enhance credibility for both marine ingredient producers and users. This commitment to impact performance enables companies to showcase continuous improvement and substantiate their claims, promoting a sense of stewardship and pride in responsible sourcing.
Becoming a GDST Partner
MarinTrust joined the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) in 2022. The latest version of their certification standard aligns with GDST’s data requirements, enhancing traceability by covering the collection, usage, transfer, and management of data. With an increasing volume of fish by-products utilized in the production of marine ingredients—over one-third—tracking raw materials back to their origin has become imperative.
Supporting Seafood Traceability
MarinTrust is dedicated to improving seafood traceability through the establishment of fully traceable marine ingredients and the promotion of by-products. The new MarinTrust Factory Standard, effective from May 1, 2024, will require certified entities to update their certification by May 1, 2025. The MarinTrust Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard enables certificate holders to demonstrate the full traceability of compliant products, ensuring separation and traceability from responsibly managed fisheries to the final product delivery.
The GDST supports MarinTrust’s mission by enabling interoperability among marine ingredient supply chain actors, ensuring that MarinTrust products reach their destinations with all necessary information effectively communicated.
Impact on the Industry
The implementation of traceability throughout the marine ingredients value chain is vital. MarinTrust aims to standardize traceability, connecting marine ingredient production with the broader food industry to effectively utilize fish by-products. They
aspire to be a central entity in achieving this goal.
Long-Term Goals
MarinTrust envisions a long-term partnership with GDST that leverages their expertise while contributing to GDST’s development efforts. CEO Francisco Aldon’s role on the GDST Supervisory Board and the Technical Committee for the GSA Seafood Processing Standard underscores this commitment. Together, they aim to build a robust framework for fully traceable marine ingredients. MarinTrust believes that only through a widely shared understanding of traceability, supported by strong interoperability mechanisms, will full traceability in the seafood sector become a
reality.
You can learn more about MarinTrust at: MarinTrust Website
Explore the benefits of GDST partnership at: GDST Get Involved