NOAA clarifies fields on Europe's new seafood export health certificates

NOAA Fisheries on Tuesday clarified how exporters should fill out several fields on the European Union's new health certificates, which are required for fish and shellfish shipped to Europe.

Under the guidance, the destination's registration number is optional, and departure time is required only for live products. The batch number field now holds up to 10,000 characters, with extra pages allowed for longer lists of lots.

The EU's new rules took effect Sept. 3. The EU will accept certain certificates issued on the old forms through Dec. 3. The new forms ask for more detail on each shipment, including destination, departure, intended use and batch information. By the time the change took effect, the industry had told NOAA that each added requirement raises the risk of delayed shipments and higher costs.

In August, NOAA said it was working with the FDA and USDA to clarify the requirements with the EU and would update its guidance. The strictest new rules, on animal health and antibiotic use, apply to farmed seafood, not the wild-caught fish that make up most of Alaska's harvest.

The EU has been Alaska's largest direct seafood trading partner by value since 2022, taking an average of $617 million a year.

The health certificate is separate from the EU's catch-tracking system, which Alaska seafood groups have called a trade barrier. Paperwork under that system left nearly 16,000 metric tons of Alaska fish held in Dutch ports in May.