Please note for movements under the NI Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS) that alternative arrangements apply to the movement of retail goods by authorised traders. This guide should only be used for goods moving outside those arrangements.
Key steps required to move UK caught fish through Northern Ireland's Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Inspection Facilities
Before Moving Fish and Fishery Products from GB to NI the business/person responsible for the consignment must:
- Ensure they are registered on TRACES.NT (the online EU system used to pre-notify SPS goods entering EU territory).
- Obtain copies of the original, officially signed export health certificates (EHCs) for all consignments after they have been signed by officials in GB. Further details on EHCs is available here. The original EHC should accompany the consignment. If you cannot find the EHC, the GB exporter will need to contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for guidance.
Pre-notify: Guidance on pre-notification can be found here, with further guidance on the timescales for pre-notification found at this link.
- Create a Common Health Entry Document for Products (CHED P) on TRACES.NT uploading scanned colour copies of the EHCs and any supporting documents including catch certificates (see documentary requirements below). Where the document is too large to send as one file, it is acceptable to send it in two parts.
- Ensure the product enters at a Northern Ireland Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Inspection facility that has EU designation for that product. You can only import fishery products for human consumption through the following SPS Inspection facilities in NI: Belfast Port; Larne Port and Warrenpoint Harbour.
- Information on the NI authorities, with roles and responsibilities for Fish and Fishery Products, can be found at this link.
Fish and Fishery Products GB to NI - Documentary Requirements
- Fish and fishery product consignments must be accompanied by the following information:
- An EORI number
- An Export Health Certificate (EHC)
- A Catch Certificate
Additional Catch Certificate Information
Composite Products
Some composite products, that contain wild caught fish, may also require the appropriate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) catch certificate. The relevant Combined Nomenclature (CN) codes are those that fall under Chapter 3 and the Tariff headings 1604 and 1605.
If the product contains wild caught fish making up more than 20% by weight of its total ingredients, you will need to obtain the appropriate catch certificate.
Products Exempt from Catch Certificate Requirements
Catch certificates are only required for fishery products intended for human consumption and are not required in the following instances:
- Pet food
- Animal feed
- Fish by-products such as fish oil
- Aquaculture products
- Fish bait
Farmed aquaculture does not require a catch certificate, even if it falls under the same Tariff Headings highlighted above. Furthermore, other products containing or obtained from fishery products, not classified in Chapter 3 or in Tariff headings 1604 and 1605, are also excluded, for example, products classified in Chapter 15 (fish fats and oil etc).
A detailed list of excluded products can be found in Annex I of the IUU Regulation EC 1005/2008 and under Tariff Headings 1604 and 1605.
* NB: The catch certificate does not have to accompany the load.
- You may also be required to submit the following documentation depending on the particular scenario/journey:
- A UK Processing Statement
- A UK Storage Document
For information on Direct Landings please visit the following link Direct Landings - Journey Checklists
Fish and Fishery Products GB to NI - Other Requirements
- Where required, ensure the consignment meets the Food Standards Agency labelling requirements which are available here.
- Ensure that all consignments are identified with an official tamperproof seal applied to the consignment/transport container and that this seal number is recorded on the EHCs and CHEDs.
- Where applicable follow DAERA’s groupage guidance for consignments being moved under the groupage scheme which can be found here.
- Ensure that any wood packaging material moving from GB to NI is ISPM15 compliant (heat treated and stamped).
- Find out what customs procedures apply and avail, if required, of the free Trader Support Service which provides assistance with completing customs declarations. Make sure the consignment adheres to Rules of Origin guidance.
On arrival in NI
- Consignments must be fully compliant with the requirements of the Official Controls Regulation to enter NI. Further information on checks and compliance is available in the Compliance Protocol Document.
- Where goods require physical inspection, the driver must follow the signs to the designated inspection facilities at the port.
- Goods which arrive in NI, but cannot be cleared due to non-compliance with import requirements, will be subject to enforcement procedures. The consignments will not be permitted to enter NI.
- Vehicles which have not been selected for physical inspection are deemed to have completed the necessary health checks and may proceed to their NI destination without delay.
Moving Fish and Fishery Products into NI from EU via the GB Landbridge
For consignments of fish and fishery products originating from the EU, which are only transiting through GB via the landbridge, DAERA requires the import of the consignment to be pre-notified on TRACES NT, to ensure the NI SPS Inspection Facility is aware of the arrival of the consignment. Specific guidance is available here.
Moving Fish and Fishery Products into NI from Rest of the World (RoW) Countries
There are different conditions for moving fish and fishery products into NI from the RoW depending on the commodity. However each consignment must enter NI via an approved Border Control Post either in NI or another EU Member State. More information is available here.
Support Health Attestations (SHAs)
Where fish and fishery products originating in NI are intended for further export from GB to the EU, or movement back to NI, then NI to GB movements of such products may require a Support Health Attestation (SHA) or in some cases a Support Attestation (SA). An SHA will provide the necessary sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) assurances to allow completion of the final EHC in GB. It is not required to enter GB, and should therefore only be used where there is a clear need for assurance indicated by a certifying officer in GB. Further information on SHAs is available here.
Catch Certificate
Where fish and fishery products originating in NI are intended for further export from GB to the EU, or movement back to NI, then they will require a catch certificate. A catch certificate will provide the necessary sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) assurances to allow completion of the final EHC in GB.
Further Information
- Roles and Responsibilities for Fish and Fishery Products in NI
- Moving fishery products or bivalve molluscs from Great Britain and non EU countries into NI
- Personal imports from GB-NI must comply with EU Regulations
- Notification of Proposed Fish Movement Form for Intra-trade movements NI or NI-GB.
- Marketing Standards requirements
- Organic Goods Requirements (Certificate of Inspection (COI))
- There are additional requirements on the trade of endangered species, or the movement of Bluefin Tuna or Antarctic and Patagonian Toothfish
- Get help with moving fish and fishery products from GB to NI via the Movement Assistance Scheme (MAS)
- If you cannot find the EHC you need, contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
- Aquaculture - Movements of Live Fish
- Aquaculture - Movement of Live Fish - NI Consignee Checklist
- Further information is available from DAERA's EU Exit Events Q&As
- Further information is available at: DAERA Fisheries webpages.
Contact Details
Email: DAERAFisheriesTransition@daera-ni.gov.uk
Tel: 028 4461 8059
Postal Address:
DAERA Marine & Fisheries Division
Rathkeltair House
Market Street
Downpatrick
Co Down
BT30 6AJ