Companies being reminded of EU catch certificate requirements

To date nearly 150 companies have registered with the Fisheries Certificate System, with around 300 catch certificates issued.

The new European Union regulation came into force on Jan. 1. It applies to any country that exports fish and seafood products to the European Union. Under the regulation, the government of the exporting country must provide a catch certificate, attesting that the saltwater fish and the seafood are not from illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

In this country, the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Catch Certification Office issues catch certificates to Canadian exporters, in accordance with the European Union regulation combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Since a number of fishing seasons will begin in the spring, DFO is issuing a reminder to exporters to contact the Catch Certification Office to prepare themselves to meet the new requirements. “We wanted to create a very user-friendly system for our industry. Consultation with people in the industry throughout the development of this project contributed greatly to achievement of the objectives we had for effectiveness, ease of use and speed for Canadian exporters,” said Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. “Requirements concerning identification of the source of fish and seafood will only increase in the next few years. People want to know where the products they buy come from, and they want to be sure that the products were ethically harvested. With our new Catch Certification Office, we are in a very good position to face these new challenges, while minimizing restrictions for the industry.”

The Fisheries Certificate System, managed by the Catch Certification Office, is an easy-to-use online system that enables exporters to quickly obtain catch certificates. The user can easily input the information needed to obtain a certificate. At the same time, the system effectively informs the Catch Certification Office, which is then able to make decisions quickly, which is of great importance for fresh products.

The Catch Certification Office opened on Dec. 1, 2009, and has so far issued about 300 catch certificates. The Office ensures that all products exported to the European Union do not come from illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

For more information on the European Union regulation or the Fisheries Certificate System, please contact the Catch Certification Office:

Toll-free in North America: 1-888-641-6464

Telephone: 613-998-8100

E-mail: CCO-BCC_Info@dfo-mpo.gc.ca