Europe invites Argentina to join its seafood certification platform

The European Commission has offered the Republic of Argentina the opportunity to connect with Catch, the EU's new digital platform for seafood products certification, which came into effect on January 10.

This system, developed by the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), prevents administrative burdens from falling on importers, ensuring faster entry of goods into the European Union.

In addition, the initiative aims to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and ensure compliance with global traceability standards.

The Argentine Capture and Export Certification team of the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture is already working on implementing a digital and automated system between the Export Module of the Federal Fisheries and Aquaculture Information System (SIFIPA) and the Import Module of the Catch System.

The EU's Catch System is responsible for certifying fishery imports arriving in the EU and is currently available only to Great Britain, Argentina, and Morocco.

"This interoperability scheme between the Argentine and European certification systems will guarantee the commercial flow of our seafood products in the EU market, while also enabling a transparent record of operations and standardized analytical tools," reads a statement from the Argentine government.