Bhubaneswar
The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) has rolled out a new digital Catch Certification System to help India's seafood export sector comply with the amended European Union (EU) regulations on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The revised EU regulations (2025/1522 and 2023/2842) have introduced stricter traceability requirements, replacing the earlier provision of simplified certification for vessels without superstructures. The new system requires a separate catch certificate for each fishing voyage supplying raw materials for products exported to the EU. Additional details, including voyage dates, fishing gear, fishing licence validity and signatures of vessel masters or licence holders, must also be furnished.
MPEDA, authorised by the Government of India to validate catch certificates since January 2010, has developed a dedicated digital platform in consultation with stakeholders and empanelled private agencies. The platform integrates primary catch data with its existing online certification portal, ensuring transparent and efficient validation. Similar certification requirements also apply to seafood exports to the United Kingdom.
During 2025–26, India exported 2,97,518 tonnes of marine products worth US$ 1,592.09 million (Rs. 13,935 crore) to the EU and UK, accounting for 15 per cent of total export volume and 18.83 per cent of export value. The initiative is expected to strengthen traceability, ensure regulatory compliance and safeguard India's seafood market access.
