Support for our Fishers #fishtraceship
We are dedicated to supporting the UK fishing industry and understand that changes in regulations can be challenging. This post is to provide you with the latest information on upcoming changes to seafood export requirements and how we are working to help you navigate them.
What is happening?
As you may know, we have been in contact regarding new information required for seafood exports to the EU. These changes are part of the EU’s illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing regulations and will take effect from January 2026. It is important to note that these are separate from the outcomes of the UK-EU reset deal of May 2025.
We are working closely with UK fishing authorities to ensure all parties are aware of these changes and their potential impact. You can find more details in the updated EU Frequently Asked Questions document.
Latest Updates
- 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, this will be a mandatory requirement in addition to the existing landing date. Changes to transport documentation will also require you to enter details for the first mode of transport.
- September: We are now rolling out the next set of changes, introducing new fields for gear type used and area of catch. These fields are optional for now and will not appear on the Catch Certificate until January 2026. We strongly urge you to begin using these fields as soon as possible to get familiar with the new requirements.
How these changes affect you?
A significant portion of UK seafood is exported, with approximately 75% of it going to the EU. Exporters will need to provide this new information for their produce to enter the EU. Even if you do not export directly, these changes may still impact you as your buyers will need this information to sell your produce onwards. These changes also apply if you are involved in direct landings into EU ports.
What is changing – Catch Certificate
From 10 January 2026, the Catch Certificate will require the following new information:
- 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!
We cannot stress this enough: start adopting these new changes early. While the new EU requirements don't become mandatory until 10 January 2026, we, along with other UK fishing authorities, strongly advise you to familiarize yourself with the changes as they are rolled out and begin providing this information to your buyers. This proactive approach will help minimize disruption to your business and ensure your exports continue to move smoothly.
How we are supporting you
We understand the extra burden these changes create. That's why we are working to support fishers, merchants, and exporters to minimize any disruption to your operations. UK Fishing Authorities have published new guidance explaining these changes, and we have been conducting face-to-face sessions across England this summer. More engagement opportunities are planned for the wider UK this autumn, so please look out for our updates.
We are also looking for fishers, merchants, and exporters to join our research panel to help us design and implement these changes to the Fisheries Electronic System (FES). If you are interested, please sign up here.
What are we doing
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and other UK Fisheries Authorities have been working diligently to understand the new regulations and what they mean for the UK fishing industry. The MMO has been developing updates to FES to support exporters in providing the new information. We are introducing these updates in a phased manner to give you time to become familiar with the changes before they become mandatory in January 2026.
Please remember to use the hashtag #FishTraceShip and get on board with the changes. We are here to help you every step of the way.
