2019 updated - Export live fish and shellfish: special rules

Check if you need a certificate to export live fish, molluscs and crustaceans.

Published 8 November 2016
Last updated 20 February 2019 — see all updates

From:

Food Standards Agency

Contents

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal

Within the EU: current rules

Outside the EU: current rules

Contacts

Endangered fish and shellfish

What you need to do to export live fish or shellfish depends on whether you’re exporting them:

• within the EU or to Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland
• outside the EU

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, from 30 March 2019 you’ll need to apply for an export health certificate (EHC) if you’re exporting live fish or shellfish to the EU.

You’ll need an EHC for all exports of fish to the EU, including farmed fish and shellfish. You will not need an EHC for direct landings from a UK flagged fishing vessel.

An official vet or local authority environmental health officer will sign the EHC to confirm the quality and health of the export. There’s no fee for the EHC, but you will need to pay for the services of the vet or local authority.

EHC forms for fish exports will be available before the UK leaves the EU.

Within the EU: current rules

Check with the fish authority in the destination country to find out if you need an export health certificate.

If you’re exporting to Norway, you may also need a UK catch certificate.

Apply for an export health certificate

You apply for export health certificate by submitting an export notification at least 5 working days before you export.

The form you fill in depends on whether you’re exporting from:

• England or Wales (EXP1) (PDF, 166KB, 2 pages)
• Scotland (MS Word Document, 1.97MB)
• Northern Ireland (MS Word Document, 35KB)

You’ll get a certificate when your application is approved. If required by the destination country:

• your goods will be inspected first
• a TRACES notification will be made for you

Attach the certificate to your consignment.

Outside the EU: current rules

If your goods aren’t being used as food, check with the fish authority in the destination country (or their embassy in the UK) to find out what documentation you need. Your local fish inspectorate can help you get the right documents.

If you’re exporting fish or shellfish to be used as food, check if you need a:

• Export Health Certificate (EHC)
• UK catch certificate

Check if you need an EHC

You will usually need to complete an EHC and some supporting documents to be able to export live fish and shellfish.

There are some types of live fish and shellfish you cannot export, or cases where you don’t need a certificate. If you cannot find the EHCyou need, contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

To find out if you need an EHC and apply, follow these steps.

1. The Export Health Certificate form finder helps you find and fill out the EHC and other supporting forms you will need to export your live fish or shellfish. If you are exporting from Northern Ireland, contact your local DAERA office. Most EHCs will also have guidance documents that give information on how to fill out the certificate.
2. Fill out the EHC and supporting forms and email them to the APHAaddress provided in the forms.
3. In most cases you will need to nominate an official veterinarian (OV) to inspect your fish or shellfish and sign the certificate.
4. APHA will send your EHC to your OV within 7 working days.
5. The OV will check the fish meets the health requirements of the destination country, complete the EHC and sign. The completed EHCwill go with the fish, and the OV will send a copy to APHA.

To find an OV you can:

• ask your local vet
• email ovteam@apha.gov.uk
• contact DAERA for Northern Ireland

There is no fee for processing the EHC but you will need to pay for the OV’s services.

Use the most up to date EHC

EHCs are sometimes updated when export agreements are changed. So make sure you are using the latest version of a certificate. The EHC form finder will always have the latest version.

Out of date forms will be rejected and cause delays to your exports.

You can sign up for alerts on the form finder, so that you get an email when a form is updated.

Check if you need a UK catch certificate

You need a UK catch certificate to export marine caught fish for human consumption to:

• Iceland
• Ivory Coast
• Kuwait
• Madagascar
• Norway
• Thailand
• Tunisia
• Ukraine
• any other non-EU country if you’ll re-import the fish back to the EU

You don’t need a catch certificate to export:

• farmed fish and shellfish, or freshwater fish
• mussels, cockles, oysters and scallops
• fish fry or larvae

How to apply

Fill in a UK catch certificate (PDF, 97.2KB, 3 pages)

Email your completed form to UKIUUCCC@marinemanagement.gsi.gov.uk.

If the fish came from more than one UK vessel, also fill in a multiple vessel schedule (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 524KB) . Submit it with the catch certificate application form.

If you’re exporting from Scotland, contact Marine Scotland to get the certificate.

Contacts

Fish inspectorate in England and Wales

Fish Health Inspectorate
Telephone: 01305 206700
fhi@cefas.co.uk
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

Fish inspectorate in Scotland

Fish Health Inspectorate
ms.fishhealth@gov.scot
Telephone: 01224 295525
Fax: 01224 295620
Find out about call charges

Northern Ireland fish division

Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)
Fisheries and Environment Division
marine.inforequests@daera-ni.gov.uk
Telephone: 028 9056 9262
Find out about call charges

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
defra.helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 0345 933 5577
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges

UK Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) catch certificate centre

UKIUUCCC@marinemanagement.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 123 1032
Fax: 0207 238 5147
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

Endangered fish and shellfish

Use the Species+ tool to search for your fish or shellfish. Check which annex (A, B, C or D) it’s classified as under EU wildlife trade regulations.

What you need to do depends on whether you’re exporting within the EU or outside the EU.

If Species+ says the fish or shellfish is banned, you can’t export the product.

Within the EU

If the fish or shellfish is classed as B, C or D, you don’t need to do anything.

If it’s classed as Annex A, you must apply for an Article 10 certificate.

You don’t need any special documents if you’re using or displaying goods for non-commercial reasons, for example scientific research or in an educational display.

Apply for an Article 10 certificate

Fill in either:

• form FED1012 (PDF, 29.6KB, 2 pages)
• form FED1012 (MS Word Document, 67KB)

You can use the guidance notes (PDF, 606KB, 15 pages) to help you.

Email it to wildlife.licensing@apha.gsi.gov.uk or post it to the Centre for International Trade Bristol.

Include any supporting documents that show you acquired the product legally, for example:

• a copy of the import permit
• a previous Article 10 certificate (use the yellow copy)

The certificate costs £31.

You should get your certificate within 15 working days.

Outside the EU

If it’s classed as A, B or C, you need a CITES export permit.

If it’s classed as D, check the animal’s CITES listing in the Species+ tool. If it’s in Appendix III, you’ll need a CITES export permit. Otherwise you don’t need to do anything.

Apply for a CITES permit

Fill in either:

• form FED0172 (PDF, 96.3KB, 2 pages)
• form FED0172 (MS Word Document, 79KB)

Use the guidance notes (PDF, 739KB, 13 pages) if you need help.

If you’re re-exporting goods include a CITES import permit to prove it legally entered the EU.

Email or post the completed form to the Centre for International Trade Bristol.

A permit costs £63 (or £37 to re-export). You should receive it within 15 working days.

If you’re exporting as part of conservation work, you might be able to get a fee waiver through:

• form CITB20 (MS Word Document, 195KB)
• form CITB20 (PDF, 58KB, 4 pages)

You can use the guidance notes (PDF, 290KB, 2 pages) if you’re unsure how to fill it in.

Regular exports for public exhibition

If you regularly take fish or shellfish abroad for a short period of time for public exhibitions, you could use a travelling exhibition certificate (PDF, 2.71MB, 208 pages) instead of a CITES permit. You’ll also need to follow the usual rules for exporting fish.

You can use the certificate whether you’re moving goods within or outside the EU.

You can add multiple specimen types in one application if needed.

It’s valid for 3 years and means you don’t need to apply for permission each time you take your display items abroad.​

To apply, fill in form FED0173 (PDF, 64.4KB, 2 pages) .

Post or email the completed to the APHA Centre for International Trade Bristol.

You’ll get your certificate within 15 working days and there’s no fee.

Parliamentarians pull together to promote UK fishing

Cross-party Westminster body opens membership to fisheries sector

MPs and Peers with a keen interest in the UK fishing industry have today announced a new programme of activity for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fisheries. The Group, which has been meeting as a dedicated cohort of Parliamentarians with coastal constituencies and interests for a number of years, is now opening its doors to the fisheries sector in its broadest sense, to foster discussions around the future of the industry, and promote UK fishing, at the heart of Parliament. 

Co-Chaired by Conservative MP Sheryll Murray and Labour's Melanie Onn MP, and with an influential Parliamentary membership covering the four corners of the country, the Group will now welcome fishermen, fishing representatives, academics, environmentalists, retail and others into its non-Parliamentary membership for the first time. Why? Because fishing has never been more prominent in public discourse, says Co-Chair Sheryll Murray: "it's wonderful to see our industry getting serious recognition for everything it contributes to the UK - as a food-provider, an employer and a vital part of our culture. We want to reflect that vibrancy of the industry in our meetings in Parliament, and we're looking forwards to a new programme of events that will welcome voices straight from deck, the market, the fishmonger's...this is an exciting time to be talking fish in Parliament." 

Melanie Onn MP added "With fish processing being such a huge employer in my constituency, Great Grimsby, I was delighted to join Sheryll as a Co-Chair of the Group, and I'm now even more thrilled that we have the chance to broaden our discussions and welcome a new type of membership. I'm looking forwards to hearing directly from the industry on what their priorities are in 2019 and beyond". 

The Group’s programme of open activity will commence in Spring of this year, with events scheduled around key themes of interest to fishing, processing and coastal communities. Brexit will be on the menu, and the Group’s Parliamentarians are focused on a positive, common exploration of how the UK industry can continue to be a sustainability leader, an attractive employer and an innovator in the face of, and supported by, policy changes to come. The issue of recruitment into fishing careers takes centre stage for the first public event, to be held on Tuesday the 7th of May. 

Supporting Secretariat services for the APPG, The Fishmonger’s Company welcomed the announcement of a new events programme for the Group. 

The Company’s Fisheries Director Andrew Wallace commented “This is a striking opportunity to convene valuable events around some of the big questions of the day for fish, fishing, processing and the supply chain, and it’s wonderful to have a group of Parliamentarians so involved in the issues at hand, and ready to contribute to these discussions so actively. This Group will showcase best practice, new ideas, and inform debate within both Houses – we encourage anyone with an interest to contact the Secretariat for more information”. 

Visit the new APPG on Fisheries website: www.fisheriesappg.org

Sunday night, Monday morning in Newlyn.

Sunday saw storm Freya blow many of the fleet back to port early over the weekend...

some were due to land anyway...

while others like the Northern Irish vessel Northern Osprey took shelter for a few hours before steaming back home...

the strong winds also blew in a few feathered as yet, unidentified visitors...

and were strong enough to dislodge a stack of pots on the quay...

the netter Ygraine ran in ahead of the worst of the weather...

to land a catch of superb quality hake...

and other whitefish...

like these stunning tub gurnards...

with their strikingly iridescent dorsal fins...

many people question the practise of discarding fish over-quota at sea and why fish caught still alive can't just be returned - this is the swim bladder of a tub gurnard - fully inflated - it is used to regulate the depth at which fish swim by changing the buoyancy of the fish by releasing or absorbing oxygen...

once out of the water it is impossible for such a fish to reduce the gas content of the bladder and the fish is then unable to swim normally - some pelagic fish, like mackerel, do not have swim bladders...

landing the fish is a family affair...

and all hands help on the market...

while the rest of the crew grade hake...

the classic Cygnus 44 hull is an immaculate conversion from trawling to netting...

Monday morning sees the fish from the Ygraine...

and a a handful of beam trawlers land fish like blonde ray...

monk fish tails...

and there were even a box of greater weevers - with their poisonous dorsal fins removed so as to protect anyone handling the fish after the sale...

the odd John Dory...

all keenly contested price-wise by the buyers...

Fish for Thought could not resist bidding on these cracking large whiting from the netter Ajax...

the bulk of beam trawl trips are made up of monk tails. megrim, lemon and Dover soles along with plaice and a wide variety of ground fish...

and sometimes a box or two of pristine red mullet drop out of the cod end...

netters sometimes hit a patch of spiders and pick out the paws...

while Seaborne Fish went for these perfect specimens of haddock for their shop...

Mousehole Fish just couldn't resist picking up these beautifully bright blackjacks or coley, a great favourite in Germany apparently...

mackerel supplies were restricted on account of Freya keeping the punts firmly on their moorings in St Ives bay...

while Wild Harbour couldn't resist the stunning looks of these big grey mullet...

Mr and Mrs smoothound...

the mornings are now just beginning to get light before the end of the auction...

which sees all but a handful of baots tied up in port...

the smallest sizes of Dover soles are known as slips and tongues...

young Mr Smart just could not resist the long tentacles of this big Mediterranean octopus which make superb eating as they become very tender when cooked correctly...

while down the Mary Williams pier the Sapphire II is taking on fuel...

and preparing for her next trip.

Newlyn netter Ygraine landing in Newlyn.

Ygraine, one of the first Cygnus 44' trawlers and built for St Ives fisherman Barney Thomas in 1982 by Ivan Toms returned to Newlyn four years ago. Bought by brothers, Rhys and David Fife who fish aboard the pioneering ring-netter Pelagic Marksman during the sardine season...

the boat is worked for wreck fish and hake by the brothers when the sardine fishery is closed.  The boat was fitted out to maintain its catch to the highest quality standards.  The boat's business is very much a family affair, all members turn-to when it comes to landing her catch on the market.

Brexit without agreement - from Boulogne and Dutch fishermen, merchants and families.

The idea of ​​a "hard" Brexit, without an agreement being reached between the British and the Europeans, is becoming a little more credible every day. In the largest French fishing port in Boulogne-sur-Mer, the fish industry is anticipated by many..

It is 1 am, the city is quiet but the port is active. Trawlers return from fishing and unload their goods, Loubet basin in Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais). "We land fishing 48 hours, in forty minutes we left," says Nicolas Margollé, owner of the trawler Nicolas and Jérémy. Stacks of crates of fish are carried by a crane, from the boat 24 meters to the dock. It's a race against the clock, everyone performs his task accurately and efficiently in the unloading.

The pace is formidable: Nicolas and the six other men aboard have slept ten hours in 48 hours. Their fishing area? Between Great Britain and France, everything depends on the season and schools of fish. "At the moment, I am mainly targeting squid and a little whiting, this is the period." The fisherman makes 65% of his turnover in the British zone. But tomorrow, this whole organisation could collapse like a house of cards.

Fishermen "in complete helplessness"

If no agreement is reached on March 29th, the official date of the beginning of Brexit (and if this date is not postponed ), the British will be able to ban their territorial waters to foreigners. Result: a considerable loss of playing field for the French on the one hand. On the other hand, the Belgians and Dutch will also fall back on the French waters full of fish. Result: a large concentration of fishermen in a small area. "This would cause problems of cohabitation, resources and everything that goes with it," says the professional. It's like having a smaller cake to share among more people.

We hope that there will be an agreement, deep within ourselves.

So Nicolas Margollé is not in the half-measure: "It will be death," he asserts. "The death of a die, whether at sea or on land, the death of a coastline is a disaster." He also bemoans a crying lack of information: "There is nothing that filters, we know nothing, for the moment we are in complete helplessness." Does he feel defended by the politicians? "No, no, when you ask for news, they know nothing, or you have to wait for the English to answer."

At sea or on land, same fight

It's not just fishermen who are worried. "We are in a complete artistic vagueness, we do not know where we are going," said Marc Salmon, the boss of Whitelinks Seafood, a fish processing company. In the area of ​​the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, in Capécure, he works the product of the local fishery, but also imports fish from abroad, particularly from the United Kingdom (the British export 75% of their catch). In his workshop, the monkfish, squid, coley, hake, halibut, rockfish turn into beautiful fillets at an impressive speed, thanks to the hands of a dozen men.

Boulogne-sur-Mer is a stronghold in the sector, if 32,000 tonnes of fish are landed each year, between 350,000 and 400,000 tonnes are processed here, much of which actually arrives by truck. A Brexit without agreement would result in a return of customs duties. But what Marc especially dreads is the sanitary and veterinary controls that could revive the day. Who says additional checks means extra time.

The risk, in case of Brexit without agreement, is that some controls a hit hard, we lose time and time is something that we do not have today.

An unbearable backlash for the boss: "All operators in the industry have been working for decades to improve this logistics, which allows us today to be able to deliver a product landed in Scotland for example, in less than 48 years. hours everywhere in France, even in the north of Spain and Italy. " If the inspections multiply, "it would force us to be less efficient in terms of delivery, to take one more day to deliver the goods, which goes against our daily work, that is to say say quality. "

To try to organise this at best, a Sivep (veterinary and phytosanitary inspection service at the borders) was obtained by local elected officials, including the mayor of Boulogne, in the port area, so that the trucks can establish their formalities on the spot.

"The fact that we are returning to a situation that predates Britain's entry into the European Union, ie the pooling of the sea for fishing activities is a foolish risk. " , said Frédéric Cuvillier, also socialist president of the Agglomeration Community of Boulonnais, who also was in charge of fishing under the presidency of François Hollande, between 2012 and 2014.

The issue of this Brexit is obviously a major issue for the region, the port of Boulogne employs 5,000 people, all sectors mixed (fishing, processing, logistics). "I'm not optimistic, especially since we are used to the British fog, but for this issue, this fog is particularly dense and it raises questions."

Courtesy of a story from France TV - translated by Google.


Similar concerns are being expressed throughout social media throughout EU fishing communities that rely on the freedom to fish in UK waters. Here is the view of a Dutch fishing family and their two seiner/trawlers.

Living between hope and fear:

Anne Marie van Seters (51, Stellendam) and Anita Poel (48, Den Helder) arrange 'everything' for fishermen at sea. Van Seters for relatives and other crew on the SL-27 and the SL-28. Anita Poel provides the administration at the local fishery cooperative (CIV). Her three brothers, husband and son sail on the BRA-5 and BRA-7. How do they experience the uncertainties in fishing?

The SL-27 Johannes fishes in the winter with the flyshoot method on squid, red mullet and mullet. Fishing area is the English Channel, right under England in British water. "Will it remain so, or will we be banned later, now that a no-deal Brexit is lurking", asks Anne Marie Van Seters. As a fisherman, Van Seters does all the bookwork full-time. At least forty hours a week she is busy with the administration, banking, management functions, crew affairs, communication with the fish auction and suppliers. She also cleans the vessels with two other women when they are back in the harbour. "In fact, I am available for the company 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Tensions

In Den Helder, Anita Poel is also busy with fishing affairs on a daily basis. As an administrative force at the local fishery cooperative, she is well aware of the threats that fishermen face. When her family members are at home, everything comes unfiltered. "There have been a lot of tensions in the sector lately. 'What will happen next, what about our income and what remains of fishing space', are questions that regularly concern us. Our young son has already obtained his fishing papers and is already sailing, but will it stay that way and will there be a future for him? "

Politics

But there is always more fear. Fear that it is not at all bad and that it might turn out worse; that the golden times that many fishermen experienced for a short time thanks to excellent fish stocks, low fishing pressure and manageable expenses, is coming to an end. That it never really gets better again. And then? Van Seters: "There was always some commotion in the fishing industry. Fishing threats are always there, but it is now extreme. "Van Seters also likes to look beyond the family interests. "The world population is increasing, we must be able to continue to eat healthy. Fishermen provide the healthiest food imaginable for millions of people. If it continues this way in the fishing industry, will that soon be over? You can hardly believe it anyway, the way in which politicians now deal with food producers. " 

Positive attitude

Fishermen are naturally flexible and positive, says Van Seters, who grew up with the fishery. Normally, that attitude is obvious, but I do not know whether that institution will stand the test of time. "Anita Poel:" Once a week we meet in Den Helder with all the local fishermen. Then you hear and feel that the worries increase with the week. Fishermen who fish with the pulse are occasionally the saddest. Now, thanks to the energy-efficient fishing method, half less gas oil per fishing trip is used. If pulses will soon no longer be allowed in Europe, and we have to switch to the beam trawl, the costs will increase enormously and perhaps no longer catch up. The least setback can then be fatal. My husband and brothers are fishing for the smaller Eurokotters. They are vulnerable in strong winds. When the wind blows more than wind force seven, they prefer to stay in the harbour for safety reasons and leave a few days later when the wind is gone. Then there is no income and we are extra vulnerable if the expenses continue to rise."

Lay awake 

How does family business Van Seters respond to uncertainties? "By fitting extra well at the store now. We have the advantage that we do not use the pulse technique, but Brexit, wind farms at sea and marine reserves also affect us, and who says that our fishing method will not come under fire in the long term. You can now expect almost everything. Pulse fishermen, who care for the income of 500 families, have to return to the trawl method. You hear noises that even that beam trawl will endure a lot of time. The pulsers that have to switch are already awake. Keeping well on the store is therefore what we as flyshooters can do to keep a view of the future. So we look to set bigger investments, and we save a bit more than usual. Then hopefully there will soon be enough room to possibly make a necessary turn without the approval of a bank. "