Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU)

EU Origin Fish Arriving via Eurotunnel

From 1 January 2021, EU origin marine caught fishery products, with the exception of farmed fish and scallops,  which are imported into Great Britain  fall within the scope of the IUU Regulations.  

There will not be an IUU customs hold on consignments of fish from the EU covered by the IUU regulations from the 1 January 2021. Importers will still need to pre-notify  Ashford Port Health twenty four working hours in advance of these imports. Imports need to be accompanied by a catch certificate, validated by the competent authority in the flag state of the catching vessel - the country where the vessel is registered, confirming it was legally fished and submit this IUU documentation in advance, in line with the IUU Regulations.

Pre-notification

These imports are required to be pre-notified at least twenty four working hours before the estimated time of arrival at the Eurotunnel entrance to Great Britain.

Currently, our office hours are Monday – Sunday 0600 - Midnight    

The importer will be required to register for a PHILIS account to enable completion of the online pre-notification form which may take several hours to be approved. Once approved a confirmation email will be received by the importer which will contain their log in details and organisation number.

A ‘help’ button can be found under the support button within the PHILIS system once you have logged in which provides information on how to submit a pre-notification. You will have to complete mandatory boxes and then save and submit the pre-notification. A box will appear stating ‘Submitted successfully’. Supporting documentation (catch certificates, sea waybill, invoice, packaging lists etc) must be attached to the pre-notification.

>> Log in or Register for PHILIS DES to complete your COI/IUU pre-notification

Documentary Check

All imports will be subjected to a documentary check to ensure that the catch certificate and associated paperwork relates to the consignment and that is valid. The catch certificate template will be checked along with the stamps and signature of the Flag State, vessel details against the list of vessels known to have been engaged in illegal fishing activities, catch areas and Regulatory Fishery Management Organisation information where applicable. A confirmation email will be sent on completion of a satisfactory document check.

IUU catch certificate format guidance

When adding catch certificate details, it is important to note that each country has a specific format. More information can be found here-

IUU certificate guidance- national standard formats