MarinTrust reports progress on Version 3 marine ingredient standard.
MarinTrust, the London-based certification body for marine ingredients such as fishmeal and fish oil, said on Tuesday that the industry is moving forward with adoption of its upgraded Factory Standard, Version 3 (V3).
The new standard, which came into effect in May 2024 and became mandatory for all audits from May 2025, tightens requirements on environmental management, labour rights and traceability. It is designed to make fishmeal and fish oil production more transparent and to encourage greater use of by-products from fish processing, reducing waste and pressure on wild stocks.
Fishmeal and fish oil are key inputs for aquaculture feed, with MarinTrust estimating that close to half of global production now falls under its certification. The programme was originally developed as an offshoot of the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organisation (IFFO) to provide assurance to feed companies and salmon producers that marine ingredients come from legal and responsibly managed sources.
According to MarinTrust, 72 facilities are now certified under V3, including 63 that have transitioned from the previous version of the standard and nine new sites certified this year. A further 63 companies are in the process of certification, with 11 additional facilities in the pipeline.
Francisco Aldon, chief executive of MarinTrust, said: “Version 3 represents a bold step forward for the marine ingredients industry. With nearly half of the global production of fishmeal and fish oil already certified under MarinTrust, the new standard will drive even greater transparency and accountability across the supply chain.”
The changes bring the programme closer into line with international frameworks such as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and International Labour Organization conventions on worker rights.
