Online event: 16 March 2023, 16.00 CET / 09.00 CST
Simultaneous English/Spanish interpretation.
Join us in this two-hour panel discussion that will consider how fishing operators exporting from Mexico can comply with robust traceability systems.
This event, organised by the EU IUU Fishing Coalition, is for all those who have an interest in increasing cooperation between the EU and Mexico in the area of fisheries, whilst preventing IUU fishing.
Experts from Mexico and the EU will discuss the following questions:
- What are the basic traceability requirements that any seafood producer should need to comply with?
- What are the requirements to export seafood products to the European Union or to Mexico?
- How do traceability laws operate in these regions?
- How can we promote trade whilst restricting Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) seafood products entering the supply chain?
Robust seafood traceability requirements are vital for understanding the legal and sustainable origin of seafood products that ends up on our plates. Successfully tracing a seafood product through all relevant stages of a supply chain requires intelligence on the who (caught the product), what (the product is), when (it was caught), where and how. Traceability requirements and Catch Documentation Schemes, where information on a consignment is recorded throughout the supply chain, have been adopted by some market States to monitor seafood trade and curb illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The European Union (EU) introduced a unilateral Catch Certification Scheme in 2008. This Catch Certification Scheme covers practically all marine wild caught fish traded by non-EU countries, including Mexico, into the EU market. Information must be provided by the fishing, processing and export operators, and validated by the competent authority of the flag State, certifying that the products imported were caught in compliance with national and international fishing laws. If Mexico’s producers want to avoid export restrictions, they must provide accurate data as requested by the EU Catch Certification Scheme.
Mexico currently does not have robust traceability requirements that fishing operators have to comply with. They are however in process of adopting traceability legislation that would require some of the key data on the who (caught the product), what (the product is), when (it was caught), where and how.
The event will consider:
The importance of seafood traceability – an EU perspective
This session will focus on the importance of the EU traceability system and how the system works.
- The EU Catch Certification Scheme (CCS) that is in place for imports and the key data elements required by the EU.
- How the EU CCS, as well as traceability system, helps national governments to refuse the products of illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing and helps retailers to ensure EU customers that no illegal seafood is sold in their stores.
- The importance of aligning global catch documentation schemes and robust traceability systems worldwide.
Mexico’s path towards seafood traceability implementation
This session will focus on the establishment of a Mexican traceability standard for fish and shellfish.
- Key data elements (KDEs) to be included.
- The importance of aligning KDEs with the EU CCS.
- Difficulties faced by exporting seafood producers in Mexico resulting from the current lack of alignment between existing catch documentation schemes.
- EU producers will provide insight on how these challenges can be overcome and discuss the importance of exporters complying with the requirements.
You can register for the event here.