Mar 4th, 2026
3 mins
Further to our call for input on the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), we are pleased to confirm that on Monday 2nd March, the BFFF along with Seafish, held a very constructive meeting with a Defra-commissioned researcher.
Discussions centred around the questions below, but in answering them we were able to provide a good amount of member feedback and highlight many key areas of concern around how the BTOM is working in practice:
- Views on BTOM’s biosecurity aims and their implications for organisations
- Perspectives on the new border checks introduced by BTOM
- Operational improvements or challenges experienced since BTOM implementation
- How business models have adapted to comply with BTOM border regulations
We are informed that the researchers have spoken to a wide range of stakeholders including, but not limited to port health authorities, customs agents, trade associations, importers and exporters.
As soon as the findings of the research are published, we will share them with you, which we are told could be in the summer.
In the meantime, we wish to thank those of you who provided invaluable insight for this session. It was very much appreciated and ensured our members and the wider sector was effectively represented.
