Responsible fishing is essential to securing marine ingredients like fishmeal and fish oil. Effective fishery management, certification schemes, and fishery improvement projects are key to ensuring long-term viability of small pelagic stocks which form two thirds of the critical raw materials needed for marine ingredients production, while circular raw materials play an increasing role.
Director General
IFFO – The Marine Ingredients Organisation
The marine ingredients sector plays a pivotal role in global food security, supplying the aquaculture sector with high-quality nutrients through fishmeal and fish oil. These ingredients are primarily derived from small pelagic species such as anchoveta, sardines, and menhaden—species that occupy a critical position in marine ecosystems and are highly productive under the right environmental and management conditions. Ensuring the responsible sourcing of these resources is not only a matter of environmental stewardship but also of maintaining the integrity and resilience of the global aquaculture sector, in alignment with FAO’s Blue Transformation Roadmap.
THE ROLE OF FISHERY MANAGEMENT
Scientific evidence underscores the importance of robust fishery management in maintaining healthy fish populations. Professor Ray Hilborn and colleagues have demonstrated that well-managed fisheries can maintain or even increase biomass levels of small pelagic species, despite fishing pressure. Their work highlights that environmental variability often plays a more significant role in stock fluctuations than fishing itself—provided that management frameworks are in place and enforced.
Peru’s anchoveta fishery is a prime example. Managed under a quota-based system with strong scientific input and real-time monitoring, it has become a benchmark for responsible harvesting. The Peruvian government, through IMARPE (Instituto del Mar del Perú), conducts regular biomass assessments and adjusts quotas accordingly. This adaptive management approach has enabled the fishery to remain productive while preserving ecological balance.
CERTIFICATION AND ASSURANCE MECHANISMS
Certification programmes provide third-party assurance that fisheries meet defined standards of responsibility. While not a fishery standard, the MarinTrust programme is based on the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries: it is the leading standard for responsible marine ingredient production, traceability and sourcing and a pre-requisite is the assessment of the fishery where the marine ingredients producers source from. Half of the global marine ingredients production is certified under the MarinTrust standard.
FISHERY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS (FIPs)
For fisheries not yet meeting certification standards, Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) offer a structured pathway toward better practices. These multi-stakeholder initiatives involve industry, government, and NGOs working collaboratively to address gaps in management, data collection, and enforcement.
MarinTrust’s Improver Programme provides a framework for fishmeal and fish oil producers to source from fisheries that are actively improving and as such are involved in a MarinTrust accepted FIP. The programme includes time-bound action plans, independent audits, and public reporting, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Examples of successful FIPs include one in Panama, which transitioned successfully to certification after having driven major policy reform and change in fishery management practices.
BEYOND CERTIFICATION: A SYSTEMS APPROACH
While certification and FIPs are essential tools, they must be part of a broader systems approach to responsible fishing. This includes:
• Ecosystem-based management: Recognising the interconnectedness of species and habitats, and managing fisheries within the context of the wider marine environment.
• Climate resilience: Adapting management strategies to account for shifting species distributions and changing ocean conditions.
• By-product utilisation: Increasing the use of fish processing by-products in fishmeal and fish oil production.
Currently, one-third of global fishmeal and over half of fish oil production comes from by-products. This trend is expected to grow, supported by innovations in processing technology and supply chain integration, and by the growing volumes of fish products from the aquaculture sector.
• The industry’s commitment: The Global Roundtable on Marine Ingredients, co-founded by IFFO and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, brings together stakeholders from across the value chain to share best practices, align on goals, and drive collective action.
Responsible fishing is not a static goal but a dynamic process that requires engagement with fishing communities and value chains, adaptability, and collaboration. The marine ingredients industry, through effective fishery management, certification, and improvement projects, is demonstrating that it is possible to meet the growing demand for feed ingredients while safeguarding marine ecosystems.
As aquaculture continues to expand, customers demand more assurances on the seafood products they buy: As a result, the sourcing policies of retailers become more demanding and specific, with emphasis put on traceability and social responsibility. In this context, ensuring the availability of responsibly sourced marine ingredients is critical and is a shared responsibility: that of science, governance, and industry.
About Petter M. Johannessen
Since 2018, Petter M. Johannessen has been heading IFFO – The Marine Ingredients Organisation. He is passionate about seeing the contribution of marine ingredients to global food production recognised, while supporting continuous improvement and responsible practices. IFFO actively engages in and initiates collaborative efforts, considering them a cornerstone of its operations. Johannessen is a founding member of the Global Roundtable on Marine Ingredients, alongside the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. Prior to his current role, Johannessen held industry executive positions including Global Business Director for Risk Management and Sourcing at Cargill Aqua Nutrition, as well as serving as Supply Chain Director and Global Sourcing and Purchasing Lead at EWOS Group.
