The Authority has responsibility for checking and verifying Catch Certificates for consignments of fishery products arriving through Plymouth's port.
Council Regulation 1005/2008 (as amended) is the main piece of European law that introduces the controls for Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.
The EC Regulations are implemented into law in England by The Sea Fishing (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing) Order 2009.
All fish imports which are from countries outside the EU must enter the UK through designated Border Control Posts.
Further Guidance can be found on the GOV.UK website.
Please note: Plymouth Port Health Authority is not currently a designated Border Control Post and can only currently accept imports that have been cleared for circulation within the EU.
Plymouth Port is seeking designation of a Border Control Post at Millbay Ferry Port for January 2022 when full import controls are implemented.
From 1 January 2021, EU origin marine caught fishery products which are imported into Great Britain will fall within the scope of the IUU Regulations.
The Regulation applies to marine caught fishery products. Freshwater and farmed (aquaculture) fish and marine fish imported for ornamental purposes fall outside of the scope of the Regulation 1005/2008. A full list of exempt products can be found in Annex 1 of the Regulation.
Commission Regulation 202/2011 identifies some exclusions, this includes clams and other bivalve molluscs. Shrimps, prawns and squid all require a catch certificate along with scampi (unless freshwater).
There are no other exemptions to the Regulations for imports of samples (i.e. all imports need a certificate).
Composite products
The Regulation also applies to composite fishery products (i.e. products which contain wild caught fish and other ingredients).
You may be required to provide written confirmation form HMRC Tariff Classification Team of the commodity code for your consignment.
Importers need to pre-notify Port Health of these imports and submit their IUU documents in advance to Port Health Authorities (PHAs), in-line with the IUU Regulations.
Notifications must be received at least four working hours before the estimated time of arrival at the port. Our office hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. If you have a consignment which is due to arrive on Saturday at 1pm, this would need to be pre-notified by 1pm on Friday.
Pre-notifications can currently be made by email.
Imports need to be accompanied by a validated catch certificate confirming it was legally fished. Such as:
- An original catch certificate is required for direct imports, where the fishery products are landed, processed and exported from the same flag state (A copy is acceptable for electronic catch certificates e.g. Canada or Norway), or
- A copy of the catch certificates with the original processing statement(s) (Annex IV): Where the fishery products are processed in a country that is not the flag state of landing. A storage document may also be required in this instance (where the fish has been stored for more than 24 hours). Your competent authority should be able to advise you on the required format.
You will also need to provide:
- Copies of commercial documents: Bills of lading, invoice and packing list
Attach all supporting documentation to the email notification.
Ensure you include Importer details and confirmation of invoice agent and e-mail to porthealth@plymouth.gov.uk Subject “Catch Certificate”.
Please note we are currently accepting scanned copies of documents by email. However, we may request original documentation to be submitted by post if there are issues of conformity.
Once the Border Control Post is in full operation we will update importers on the site location where hauliers may deliver printed documents at the Port for our attention after disembarking.
Fees and charges
There is a charge to cover the cost of official checks which can be found on our Port Health charges page.
Payment can be made by credit card, invoice, or bank transfer.
Documentary check
100% of consignments are subject to documentary checks.
The documentary check is the assessment of the Catch Certificate and accompanying commercial documentation, which may include bills of lading, invoices and packing lists to ensure validity. The catch certificate template will be checked along with the stamps and signatures of the Flag State, vessel details against the list of vessels known to have been engaged in illegal fishing activities, catch areas, and Regional Fishery Management Organisation information where applicable.
Where there may be a discrepancy between the catch certificate and associated paperwork, additional checks may be undertaken on the consignment including identity and physical checks and DNA analysis for fish species identification.
Identify check
100% consignments are also subject to identity checks which involves the verification that the product, health marks, stamps and other necessary product and or package information conforms to the declaration on the health certificates and accompanying documentation.
Physical check
There is no prescribed rate for the carrying out of physical checks for Catch Certificates; Commission Decision 94/360/EC prescribes the level of physical checks for certain products of animal origin.
However, if there is an identified discrepancy between the submitted certification and any accompanying documentation, a more detailed assessment of the product and packaging may be carried out.
Satisfactory checks
Upon completion of satisfactory checks, the paperwork will be signed and stamped by the Port Health Authority and returned to the agent after payment has been received.
Note: Imports into the UK from the EU are being phased in. There will not be an IUU Customs hold on consignments of fish from the EU covered by the IUU requirements until full import requirements are in place later in the year. The only exception to this will be for imports of Bluefin Tuna and Antarctic and Patagonian Toothfish which will be subject to a Customs hold. Imports from non-EU countries are not currently allowed through the Port of Plymouth.
Unsatisfactory checks
Where checks are undertaken on a catch certificate and significant issues are discovered which are in breach of the Regulations, a notice will be served. Depending on the reason for the unsatisfactory checks, the importer may be able to re-export the product outside of the country. However, if the fish is deemed to have been fished illegally it may be confiscated or destroyed.
All costs for destruction are to be met by the person responsible for the consignment.