Irish Fisheries Traders Notes

General fisheries issues and requirements for the importation of fishery products, including wild caught and farmed fish, from the UK post-Brexit

If no Withdrawal Agreement is in place, the Common Fisheries Policy will cease to apply to the UK Exclusive Economic Zone.

Fisheries stakeholders will be affected in the following ways:

1. Access to Fishing Grounds

Irish vessels may no longer be allowed to fish in UK waters. UK vessels may no longer be allowed to fish in the waters of the EU27

2. Impact on Quotas

TACs and quotas have been agreed for 2019 and it is expected that the UK would abide by that agreement.

Given that the UK will exit the Single Market, there will be a requirement for EU Member States (including Ireland) to apply sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks on all imports of fishery products, including wild caught and farmed fish coming from the UK into the EU.

This will mean that the importation of fishery products, including wild caught and farmed fish from the UK into Ireland will have to meet certain requirements, including:

When the UK leaves the EU,

 The UK will have to be listed by the European Commission as a country approved to export the relevant seafood product to the EU.

 The UK will have to be listed as having a residue plan approved in accordance with EU legislation.

 Each processing and exporting establishment will also have to be approved to export the category of seafood product to the EU.

 Each consignment of seafood will need to be accompanied by a health certificate, drawn up in conformity with the model under EU law for the particular product, completed and signed on behalf of the competent authorities of the UK.
 The consignment may only enter Ireland through an approved Border Inspection Post (BIP)1.
 At least 24 hours before the physical arrival of the consignment in Ireland, the person responsible for the load must complete Part 1 of the Common Veterinary Entry Document (CVED) via the EU computer system TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System).
 The consignment will need to be presented to the BIP where it will be subject to regulatory checks. These include documentary checks, identity checks, and when required, physical checks which may also include the taking of samples for laboratory tests.

Upon satisfactory completion of the required checks, the decision is entered in Part 2 of the CVED which is signed and stamped by the official veterinarian. The original version of the CVED must accompany the consignment to the first place of destination referred to in the CVED. The consignment is then released into free circulation throughout the EU.
Additional requirements specific to seafood imported from a third country into the EU:  Wild caught fishery products entering the EU from Third countries require a catch certificate to comply with Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 which must be submitted to the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA). Fishery

1 As of December 2019, BIPS will become known as Border Control Posts (BCP) and CVEDS will become CHEDS under Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products.

product imports which do not require catch certificates such as aquaculture must have attestation of that status also routed via the SFPA.  Catch certificates and other pertaining import documents will need to be submitted to the SFPA at least three working days before the expected arrival date of the consignment in Ireland.

To register as an importer of fish and seafood products, applications should be made to: The Food Safety Unit, Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority, National Seafood Centre, Clogheen, Clonakilty, Co. Cork. Email sfpafoodsafety@sfpa.ie or phone 023 8859300.

Direct landings from UK flagged fishing vessels of fish caught by them into Ireland when the UK leaves the EU:  As a Third Country, UK fishing vessels landing to Ireland, will become a particular form of POAO importation to EU and  Direct landings of fresh fishery products will be required to land into either Castletownbere or Killybegs,. Instead of pre-notification with CVED in TRACES these require Prior notification under the IUU regulation  Instead of health certification these direct landings will require a Captain’s Declaration of conformity with EU health standards
These direct landings will require Catch certification issued by the UK authority.

EU Marketing Requirements  Fishery and aquaculture products placed on the EU market are subject to specific market requirements. The UK will have to continue to adhere to these requirements. Irish importers of these products from the UK should check that their suppliers are compliant with relevant rules as set out in Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013, which include the specific consumer information requirements2 and marketing standards on fishery and aquaculture products3.

2 Chapter IV of Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 3 Chapter III of Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013

 As regards organic aquaculture, for products placed on the EU-27 market as of the withdrawal date, the certificates issued by control authorities and bodies in the United Kingdom are no longer valid.
 Apart from these sector-specific requirements on the import and export of fishery and aquaculture products, all other requirements in EU food law will still apply.

 These rules, be they sector-specific or horizontal, apply to all food placed on the EU market, independently of the place of production of the food.

UK Marketing Requirements

 Irish exporters will have to ensure that their products adhere to food regulations that the UK may establish post withdrawal.

Contact: AnimalProductImportsBrexit@agriculture.gov.ie
https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/foodindustrydevelopmenttrademark ets/tradeimportsexports/tradernotices/TNImportProceduresforAnimalsandAnimalPro ductsfromUK090419.pdf
Email: iuuoffice@sfpa.ie or phone 023 8859300
http://www.sfpa.ie/Sea-Fisheries-Conservation/IUU-Fishing General Issues Access/Quotas brexitfisheriesgroup@agriculture.gov.ie