Fishing vessel owners in Fife whose catch is to be exported to the EU either directly or indirectly must have their vessels registered as a food business with Fife Council. Failure to do so may result in you being unable to export the catch to the EU Member States from 1 January 2021.
It is a legal requirement to register unless your catch is intended either solely for your own consumption, or it does not exceed 25 kilograms and is for direct sale from the quayside.
It is the responsibility of the fishing vessel, food business operator or their representative to register with their Local Authority.
Being registered as a food business with Fife Council means that an Export Health Certificate can be issued anywhere in the UK. You will need this before the catch can be Exported into the EU.
If your fishing vessel’s 'home port' is located within the Fife Council area you must register as a food business with us. In addition, the vessel needs to be inspected by an officer from the Environmental Health (Food & Workplace Safety) Team at Fife Council.
If the name of your vessel does not appear on the published list (see below link) or you have applied for registration as a food business but have not been contacted by Environmental Health to have your vessel inspected, please contact us by emailing Food.Advice@fife.gov.uk
To check if a fishing vessel is registered please visit the Food Standards website
