MarinTrust and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) recently announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize and strengthen their collaborative efforts in promoting responsible practices across the marine ingredient value chain. Recognizing the complementary nature of their missions, MarinTrust and SFP have agreed to accelerate progress towards shared goals.
“This MoU marks a significant step forward in our longstanding relationship with SFP. By aligning our efforts, we can more effectively drive improvements in marine ingredient sourcing, traceability and production, ultimately benefiting ecosystems, communities and the users of marine ingredients such as the global aquaculture sector, the omega-3 nutraceutical industry and the pet food sector,” assured Libby Woodhatch, Executive Chair of MarinTrust.
For his part, Dave Martin, Deputy Division Director at SFP, commented: “We are delighted to formalize our collaboration with MarinTrust, which started a long time ago and has resulted in fruitful projects such as the Multispecies Pilot Project and the Gulf of Thailand (GoT) Fish Project. Together, we can amplify our impact and accelerate progress towards a more sustainable and equitable seafood supply chain.”
Important Goals
The first of the mentioned goals are, in the governance area, continued SFP representation on MarinTrust committees, including the Governing Body Committee, Improver Programme Application Committee, Fisheries Development Oversight Committee, and Social and Ethical Committee. Also, joint support for initiatives such as the FAO Gulf of Thailand (GoT) Fish Project, the MarinTrust Multispecies Pilot Project, the Global Roundtable for Marine Ingredients and others.
Regarding FIP ratings, the MoU aims to the integration of SFP’s Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) ratings within the MarinTrust Improver Programme, with MarinTrust contributing to review and revision processes.
In the area of insight and information sharing, both entities will exchange data, networks, and expertise to promote the best practices and avoid duplication. This includes the use of FishSource data for MarinTrust certificate applications and exploring the use of the FAO Global Record of Stocks and Fisheries (GRSF) identifiers.
After the signing of the MoU, the Deputy Division Director at SFP said: “We are delighted to formalize our collaboration with MarinTrust, which started a long time ago and has resulted in fruitful projects such as the Multispecies Pilot Project and the Gulf of Thailand (GoT) Fish Project. Together, we can amplify our impact and accelerate progress towards a more sustainable and equitable seafood supply chain.»
Certification and Conservation
MarinTrust is the leading independent certification program dedicated to advancing best practice in the responsible sourcing, traceability, and production of marine ingredients. MarinTrust is a program dedicated to marine ingredient production factories, allowing them to gain recognition for their responsible sourcing, traceability and production of marine ingredients.
On the other hand, SFP is a global marine conservation organization working to ensure healthy oceans and sustainable seafood for all, leveraging the influence of seafood buyers and retailers to drive improvements in fisheries and aquaculture. At the moment, SFP is working toward a world where all fisheries and aquaculture are improving and everyone has access to responsibly sourced and produced seafood.
“We work across the entire seafood value chain, from the world’s largest retailers to artisanal fishers, to find practical solutions to difficult problems. In everything we do, we focus on impact, to help ensure abundant fisheries, healthy marine and coastal ecosystems, and resilient fishing communities. Through our strong relationships with the seafood industry and the catch sector, we leverage the power of retailers, seafood buyers, and their supply chains to drive change in fisheries and aquaculture regions around the world. We bring industry together with NGOs, governments, fishers, and scientists, and then share our tools and expertise to help them find creative, collaborative solutions that work for everyone,” they said.
