© MarinTrust
MarinTrust and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise and strengthen their collaborative efforts in promoting responsible practices across the marine ingredient value chain.
MarinTrust is an independent certification programme focused on responsible sourcing, traceability and production of marine ingredients. SFP is a marine conservation group that works with seafood buyers and retailers to promote sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.
"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," said Libby Woodhatch, executive chair of MarinTrust, in a press release.
Recognising the complementary nature of their missions, MarinTrust and SFP have agreed to accelerate progress towards shared goals. As part of the MoU, SFP will continue to be represented on MarinTrust’s committees, including those overseeing governance, social and ethical issues, and the Improver Programme.
The two organisations will also work together on initiatives such as the FAO Gulf of Thailand Fish Project, the MarinTrust Multispecies Pilot Project and the Global Roundtable for Marine Ingredients. In addition, SFP’s Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) ratings will be incorporated into the MarinTrust Improver Programme, with MarinTrust contributing to review and revision processes. The partners also plan to expand data and knowledge sharing, making greater use of FishSource and exploring FAO Global Record of Stocks and Fisheries (GRSF) identifiers to support certification applications.
"We are delighted to formalise 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," said Dave Martin, deputy division director at SFP.
