Speakers at MarinTrust side event urge standards alignment between seafood certification schemes to boost trust, efficiency, and access
Alignment Between Certification Standards Seen as Crucial to Market Growth
Greater collaboration between seafood certification schemes could streamline responsible sourcing and unlock wider market access, industry experts agreed at a MarinTrust-hosted side event during IFFO’s members’ meeting in Madrid.
With a strong focus on the US market, the session brought together key voices from the certification and feed supply chain sectors. Speakers included Francisco Aldon (MarinTrust), Mike Kraft (Certified Seafood International), Dan James (Kodiak Fishmeal Company), and Dan Lee (Global Seafood Alliance). They discussed how mutual recognition between certification programmes can reduce complexity, broaden certified ingredient options, and deliver stronger assurances to supply chains.
Certification Driving Responsible Supply
Francisco Aldon, CEO of MarinTrust, opened the session by highlighting the scale of current certification efforts. “Forty-five percent of marine ingredients globally are certified against MarinTrust,” he stated. “There is growing demand for transparency. What’s often underestimated is the challenge of tracking certified products throughout the supply chain.”
He pointed out that certified marine ingredients can lose their status if mixed with non-certified material, underlining the need for strict segregation protocols.
More Certification Choice for Buyers
Mike Kraft, Executive Director of Certified Seafood International (CSI), explained that CSI’s third-party certification now encompasses some of the world’s best-known fisheries — including Alaska, Iceland, Japan and Pacific Whiting — and has been benchmarked by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI).
“By bringing in the GSSI-backed Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) programme, we’ve created more options based on the FAO Code of Conduct,” Kraft said. While CSI’s focus is primarily on US fisheries, expansion efforts are underway in New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, Denmark and Norway.
“There’s rarely a company now without a responsible sourcing policy,” he added. “But the market needs more options. GSSI helps simplify that by benchmarking schemes, and buyers can trust the results.”
Reducing Complexity and Improving Assurance
Dan Lee, Programme Integrity Advisor at the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA), stressed the need for diversity and simplicity. GSA’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) scheme certifies the entire aquaculture production chain, and Lee praised MarinTrust’s recognition of other standards for reducing complexity and improving consistency across seafood supply chains.
“The market doesn’t just want volume — it demands assurance,” Lee said. He acknowledged the progress made by the marine ingredients sector, with 45% of material certified under MarinTrust, and pointed out that other feed ingredients, like soymeal, lag far behind. “There are lessons to be learnt there.”
Lee also highlighted the role of MarinTrust’s Improver Programme in helping multispecies fisheries develop responsibly and applauded the growing use of by-products in fishmeal and fish oil production.
Market Drivers Vary Across Regions
Dan James, President and CEO of Kodiak Fishmeal Company, explained how US markets — especially the pet food sector — are demanding certified, sustainably sourced products. Kodiak, MarinTrust certified since 2011, sources MSC-certified raw materials for production in Alaska.
“There’s no aquaculture in Alaska — it’s all wild caught,” James noted. “But we serve aquaculture customers abroad, especially in Asia.”
Certification Must Remain Practical
The session closed with a reminder from MarinTrust’s Aldon: “Certification must be practical, robust and fit for purpose. It’s not just about ticking boxes — it’s about acting as a bridge between wild capture fisheries and the aquaculture supply chain.”
Speakers agreed that harmonising standards and recognising equivalence where appropriate can reduce duplication, streamline certification efforts, and ultimately strengthen confidence in the seafood value chain.
