The EU will introduce tougher rules to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing with new import requirements coming into force on 10 January 2026.
As we reported in September, the Fish, Trace, Ship campaign has been launched to help UK exporters prepare for the new regime.
Now, the Government has lent its support to the campaign and confirmed that the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is updating the Fish Export Services (FES) to ensure the IT system can provide the catch certificates, processing statements and non-manipulation documents required by the EU from the January 2026 deadline.
A processing statement will be required if goods are caught and landed by a UK vessel and then processed in the UK before export.
The definition of processing has been expanded to mean any seafood that has been cut, filleted, canned, smoked, salted, cooked, pickled, dried, or otherwise prepared for market. Fish which has only been frozen and/or packed will not require a processing statement.
Nick Greenwood, MMO’s Head of Marine Protection and Operations Services, said: “The changes to processing documentation will almost certainly mean businesses that have not had to supply processing statements so far will have to start doing so in January.”
To ensure changes to the FES are simple to use, processors and associated seafood businesses are being asked to join the MMO’s research panel to help design the new parts of the IT system.
