Support for our Fishers

What is happening?

We have previously contacted you about changes being made to the information that will be required to accompany seafood exports to the EU. These changes are set out in the EU’s illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing regulations and come into effect from January 2026.

They are completely separate to the outcomes of the UK-EU reset deal of May 2025.

You can read more about the changes in the EU Frequently Asked Questions document updated in April. 

MMO is working with UK fishing authorities to make sure all parties understand the changes and how they may be affected.  

Latest Updates:

July:

In July we introduced the first of these changes with a new optional field for the start date of the fishing trip.

From 10 January 2026 the start date is needed in addition to the existing requirement to provide the landing date. 

The transport documentation change will require users to enter all details relating to the first mode of transport.   

September:

We are introducing the next of these changes which will be fields relating to gear type used and area of catch.

As before, these fields will be optional for now, and the information will not appear on the Catch Certificate document, until January 2026. However, we would urge all fishers to begin adopting these changes as soon as possible to become familiar over time.

How these changes affect you? 

Much of the seafood caught by UK vessels is exported abroad with around 75 per cent of this going to the EU. Exporters will be required to provide this information for seafood to enter the EU. Even if you do not export directly, you need to be aware of the changes as they may impact your ability to sell your produce onwards.  

These changes will also apply to you if you are involved in direct landing of catch into EU ports.

What is changing – Catch Certificate 

From 10 January 2026, the EU will require the following new information to be included on the Catch Certificate: 

• The start date of the fishing trip 
• The gear type used  
• The area of catch (which exclusive economic zone (EEZ) the catch occurred in and whether there is interest from a regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO)) 

Act Now! Get on Board!

Start adopting the new changes early. The new EU requirements do not come into force until 10 January 2026. However, all UK fishing authorities strongly advise you to familiarise yourself with the changes as they roll out and start to provide the relevant information to your buyers when selling your produce. This will help minimise disruption to your business and keep exports moving.

We understand these changes create an extra burden on the wider UK fishing industry. We are working to support fishers, merchants and exporters with these changes to minimise any disruption to commercial operations and trade. 

How we are supporting you

UK Fishing Authorities have published new guidance explaining these changes, and we have been conducting face to face sessions with fishers, merchants and exporters in England over the summer. Further engagement opportunities are being planned for the wider UK this autumn. Please look out for these in our updates to you.

We are also looking for fishers, merchants and exporters to join our research panel to help us design and implement the changes to FES. If you are interested, please sign up here. 

What are we doing

Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and other UK Fisheries Authorities have been working to understand the changes and what they mean for UK fishers, merchants and exporters. MMO has also been developing updates to FES to support exporters to provide the newly required information.

We are introducing these updates on a phased basis to enable users to become familiar with these changes ahead of January 2026. 

Please remember #FishTraceShip and get onboard with the changes.