Seafish advises importers to start using new health certificates for seafood imports now

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The health certificates that have to accompany seafood imported to the European Union are changing.

Importers need to be aware that after 30 June 2009 only the new certificates will be accepted for some types of imports. As these new certificates are quite complicated it would be prudent to start using them now, advises Seafish, the UK authority on seafood.

The two new certificates for seafood – one for fishery products and the other for live bivalve molluscs – have been published in Regulation 1250/2008/EC. The new certificates can be used now, but there is a transitional period during which border inspectors will continue to accept the old certificates.

The main changes to the certificates concern the animal health part of the certificate and this applies only to certain types of seafood containing material of aquaculture origin, such as ungutted catfish, tilapia or cod of aquaculture origin, and farmed salmon roe that is not in a retail pack. For these types of imports the transitional period runs only to 30 June 2009, after which border staff will only accept the new certificates.

There are exemptions which are detailed in the new certificate. These include all wild-caught fish, seafood in retail packs, and farmed crustacea that are either dead or unable to survive if released. For these types of imports the transitional period extends to 31 July 2010.

“Defra has advised importers to start using the new certificates now rather than wait for the end of the transitional periods and this is very sound advice,” said Ivan Bartolo, of Seafish Legislation. “This will give importers valuable time to talk to their suppliers and ensure officials in the exporting country are aware of the new requirements. From 1 July 2009, non-exempted consignments arriving at the UK Border Inspection Posts with incorrectly completed certificates may be rejected.”