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Fish, Trace, Ship

Support for our Fishers

What is happening?

From 10 January 2026, fishers and exporters will be required to provide additional information for seafood leaving the UK. You need to act early to familiarise and adopt the changes, to ensure you can provide your buyer, with the appropriate information. 

These changes are set out in the EU’s illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing regulations and come into effect from 10 January 2026.  They are separate to, and unaffected by, the outcomes of the UK-EU reset deal of May 2025.  

You can read more in the EU Frequently Asked Questions document.  

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

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, or other relevant countries. Exporters will be required to provide this information if they are exporting consignments of fish or seafood overseas. 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 on.   

These changes will apply to all seafood and fisheries exports from the UK.

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  
  • Information relating to transport documentation (not applicable to direct landings)
  • The area of catch (which exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or High Seas area the catch occurred in and whether there is interest from a regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO)).

July change

In July the first of these updates was introduced to the UK Fish Export Service with a new optional field for the start date of the fishing trip.  From 10 January 2026 the start date will be needed by exporters in addition to the existing requirement to provide the landing date.  

The transport documentation update will require users to enter all details relating to the first mode of transport leaving the UK. This is not applicable for direct landings.

September change:

In September, further new fields relating to gear type used and area of catch, were introduced. These fields are also optional until 10 January 2026 when they will become mandatory to meet EU requirements. This means that to create a Catch Certificate, users will be required to enter the gear type used and area of catch.

Prior to January 2026, any information entered in the optional fields on the catch certificate will be stored securely but will not be recorded on the final PDF certificates during this period. You should continue to check that all information is accurate and up to date on your application before submission.

We are urging everyone in the supply chain to begin adopting these changes as soon as possible so that you have time to familiarise and make any necessary adjustments to meet the new requirements.

What is changing – Processing Statement

The EU have changed the circumstances when an export needs to be accompanied by a Processing Statement.  This requirement currently only applies to seafood caught by non-UK vessels and processed in the UK prior to export.

Whilst a Processing Statement is not something a fisher would need, it is important you are aware of this change within your supply chain.

NEW: From 10 January 2026, the requirement for a Processing Statement will also apply to seafood caught by UK vessels and processed in the UK before export.  

‘Processed’ means 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. 

This requirement is outlined in the EU’s official guidance. For further information please see questions 57 and 59 of the EU Frequently Asked Questions . 

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. 

How we are supporting you

UK fishing authorities have published new guidance explaining these changes.

We have published some FAQs to help you understand what you need to do and why.

This autumn we are holding a series of online webinars for you to attend to learn more about the new changes. The first of these will be on October 22. You can sign up here:

You can help shape the service changes by getting involved in our user research testing. We are also looking for fishers, merchants and exporters to join the design process. If you are interested, please sign up here. 
 
Please remember #FishTraceShip and get onboard with the changes.