With just three weeks remaining until new EU Illegal, Unreported
and Unregulated (IUU) fishing regulations come into effect, all
fishermen, seafood processors, exporters and transporters are
being urged to act now before time runs out.
To ensure a smooth transition, the UK has set 8 January 2026 as
the deadline for industry readiness ahead of the
new EU regulations coming into effect. By this
date, MMO, working with all UK Fishing
Administrations, want to make sure
all sections of the supply chain understand the
changes, and are compliant so exports can continue
to move without disruption.
This includes those in the catching sector who need to understand
that they must provide additional information to
support exports down the supply chain. Without it they may not be
able to sell their products.
To support industry, technical
step-by-step videos are now available online to help
industry navigate the changes around the new
information fields required within the Fish Export
Service system. MMO is also working on template
label examples to support stages in the supply chain in
response to feedback from industry.
Nicholas Greenwood, MMO's Head of Marine Protection
and Operations Services, said:
The UK seafood industry has consistently shown
resilience and ability to adapt to
new regulatory changes. As
we rapidly approach 8 January UK deadline, we are
asking businesses to be ready and compliant in
advance.
We've now introduced tools such as
the videos and shortly label
examples to help make compliance for
you easier and simpler. They are offered as a
practical tool to help fishers and exporters meet the new
requirements. Catch Certification
and additional information requirements for all
seafood exports will be compulsory. There is no grace
period, exports without the correct documentation after
the deadline will be disrupted.
If you have not done so already, prepare now, be compliant
by 8 January, and safeguard
your export market access.
MMO continues to provide extensive support through the Fish,
Trace, Ship campaign, including:
-
Guidance and FAQs
-
A series of how to
videos covering Catch Certificates, Processing
Statements, CSV uploads and Non-Manipulation
Document.
-
Industry webinars – the final one is 17
December. Register here.
For more information, visit the Fish, Trace, Ship campaign
site: Fish, Trace,
Ship - Act Now! Are you on board?
