Nov 16th, 2020
5 mins
At the end of the Transition period the IUU Regulation 1005/2008, which aims to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing will roll over into UK law.
Only marine fisheries products validated as legal by the competent flag state or exporting state can be imported to or exported from the EU. The IUU Regulation can take steps against those that turn a blind eye to illegal fishing activities: first it issues a warning, then it can identify and blacklist them for not fighting Illegal, unreported or unreported (IUU) fishing.
Importing
For importing from the EU after January 1st, 2021, all fishery products covered by the IUU Regulation 1005/2008 will require the following IUU documentation when entering GB:
- A catch certificate from the exporter (note: if the product was caught by a vessel flagged to a country other than the exporting country, the catch certificate has to be authorised by the competent authority of the flag country).
and if the fish has been stored or processed you may need:
- A processing statement filled in by the processor
- Storage documents from the exporter
From 1 April, you will also need an Export Health Certificate.
More information can be found here
Checks will take place from 1st January on a risk basis as determined by the Port Health Authority and as part of those checks the importer may be requested to provide the catch documentation even though EU goods are expected to be allowed free entry.
Training has been arranged for Port Health staff which will cover for example, the level of checks, what actions to take following non-compliance, such as re-exportation, and how to deal with fish that is suspected to have been caught illegally in British waters.
However, catch certification is not a simple process and we must bear in mind that whilst third country exporters and EU importers have been using catch certificates and are aware of the certification requirements, this process will be completely new to most European suppliers. There is growing concern that European exporters in various EU member states are unclear about what a processing statement or storage document should look like, and who should be issuing and signing them.
Exporting
To export fish to the EU after 1st January 2021, you will need to follow the same rules that are currently in place for exports of fish to some non-EU countries. You will need to create:
- An export health certificate (except for direct landings of fresh fish in EU ports from UK-flagged fishing vessels)
- A catch certificate – you need to validate this and send it to your importer
You may also need:
- Direct landing documents
- A storage document if your product has been stored
- A processing statement if your product has been processed
More information can be found here
For exporting, the Fish Export Service will be available for issuing these documents and is due to go live this month. We will update members as soon as this service goes live.
