Brexit no deal? Importing and exporting fish

In the absence of a Brexit deal before 29 March 2019, guidance on importing and exporting wild-caught marine fish.

On 4 February 2019 HMRC published new guidance on exporting and importing fish with the EU if there is no Brexit deal on 29 March. 

The key points for fishing vessels operating from the South West of England and landing their catch in the EU are as follows:

Once the UK is no longer treated as an EU member state (eg in a no deal Brexit), fish caught by UK-flagged vessels can only be landed in a designated EU port.

The French ports on this list are Boulogne, Brest, Douarnenez, Concarneau and Nantes-St Nazaire, and the Netherlands ports are Eemshaven, Ijmuiden, Harlingen, Velsen-Nord and Vlissingen.

Fishery enforcement officers may inspect the catch and a catch certificate and pre landing declaration will be required 4 hours before landing fresh fish and 72 hours before landing frozen fish. The pre landing declaration must include details of the area fished and the quantity of fish on board by species.

North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) Port State Control forms will also be required 24 hours before landing.

Similar provisions apply for fish which have been stored in the UK, and further information is required when fish has been stored and also processed in the UK.

Detailed information about the transport of the fish is also required.

In addition to the fisheries specific documents, customs declarations will also be required and import VAT and customs duty may be payable before the catch can be cleared by French or Dutch customs.

Please contact us for advice if you feel you will be affected by a no-deal Brexit.