Importers of fish and fishery products will be required to present a catch certificate for each lot from marine fisheries upon import. The document will be transmitted through the EU electronic traceability system and verified by the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA) through veterinary inspectors at border checkpoints.
If the catch certificate is missing, the inspector establishes discrepancies or the catch certificate does not contain complete and convincing information, ANSA will prohibit the entry of that batch of fish products into the country. The competent authorities of the exporting country and/or country of origin will be notified of the irregularities detected during its importation.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food noted that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing has become a serious problem worldwide, seriously affecting natural resources and the balance of marine ecosystems. It is estimated that about 40 percent of the world’s commercial fishing is accounted for by such methods, which means an annual loss of more than 843,000 tons of fish.
This situation undermines international efforts to fight hunger, promote responsible consumption and production, and protect marine life – goals included in the UN Sustainable Development Agenda.
