EU NGOs collaborate to improve the catch certification system in order to eliminate IUU fishing (Part 1)

EU IUU Fishing Coalition
Coordinator: Thomas Walsh

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing depletes marine resources, negatively impacts resource management, and threatens the livelihoods of vulnerable communities. It also provides a breeding ground for human rights and labor rights abuses among fishermen. The European Union (EU), which has been addressing this issue from an early stage, adopted the EU IUU Regulation in 2008 and established the world's first "EU Catch Certification Scheme."

Then, the revised "EU Fisheries Management Regulations," which were amended in January 2024, came into effect in January 2026. This expanded the data required for EU catch certificates, and the "CATCH" digital system for managing catch certificates for all seafood imported into the EU began operation. We spoke with Thomas Walsh, coordinator of the EU IUU Fishing Coalition (hereinafter referred to as the Coalition) and speaker at the Sustainable Seafood Summit 2025 in Osaka, about the efforts of NGOs collaborating to combat IUU fishing and the current situation in the EU.

Thomas Walsh
He serves as a coordinator for the EU IUU Coalition, leading the effective operation and implementation of its projects to eradicate IUU fishing by promoting collaboration among stakeholders and supporting innovative strategies. He joined the EU IUU Coalition as a research fellow in 2021. From March 2023, as a policy analyst, he has supported the Coalition's evidence-based advocacy activities by writing reports and policy recommendations on a variety of topics related to IUU fishing, fisheries transparency, and seafood traceability. He has held his current position since June 2024. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Sheffield, UK, and a Master of Science degree in Marine Systems and Marine Policy from the University of Edinburgh.

Five NGOs collaborate to establish the EU IUU Coalition.

—What led to multiple NGOs collaborating to establish the EU IUU Coalition (hereinafter referred to as the Coalition)? Could you tell us about the background of its establishment?

The alliance was established in 2014. It is comprised of five NGOs: the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Oceana, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), The Pew Charitable Trusts, and WWF EU (World Wide Fund for Nature).

The EU IUU Regulation, adopted in 2008, is a world-leading law aimed at addressing the issue of IUU fishing, providing a powerful legal framework and tool to tackle this widespread problem in the oceans. However, how EU member states properly implement the law is up to each country. It was clear that ensuring its effectiveness required monitoring and verification of its proper application, provision of expert and technical opinions, and maintenance of political momentum.

Five NGOs believed that cooperation among NGOs was essential to achieve this, and thought that by uniting and raising their voices together, they could increase their influence and deliver a consistent message to EU institutions—the European Commission and the European Parliament—as well as to each EU member state.

The European Union (EU) consists of 27 member states since the UK's departure.

—What is your relationship with EU public institutions?

EUWe maintain a highly constructive yet independent relationship with institutions, particularly the European Commission. We make an effort to meet regularly and cooperate as needed.

The Union appreciates the EU's global leadership in combating IUU fishing. We believe that because the EU is such a vital seafood market, it has the influence to set global standards. The Union's purpose is to ensure that the standards set by the EU are high enough and properly enforced, and to point out the lack of transparency that still exists within the EU.

The EU-IUU Union recommends the mandatory collection of 17 KDEs.

--Could you tell us about the Key Data Elements (KDEs) required for fishing certificates?

The EU's fisheries certification system was introduced in 2008 and came into effect in 2010. The original fisheries certification was developed by the EU to certify that seafood imported into the European market was caught in accordance with national and international fisheries laws and resource management measures. That certification already included 13 of the KDEs recommended by the Union.

In 2020, the Coalition, acting as an independent NGO, compiled a list of 17 Key Qualitative Qualitatives (KDEs) that it considers essential as the minimum foundation for an effective catch certification system. It then recommended to the European Commission that the EU catch certification system be improved to align with our recommendations.

—How did the coalition come up with the 17 KDEs?

This was formulated based on existing literature and external recommendations. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has also published its own voluntary guidelines on catch certification schemes, in which KDE is also recommended.

The KDE (Knowledge Derived Data) recommended by the coalition was developed based on existing knowledge, as well as from the perspective of what data NGOs consider essential to ensure true traceability of seafood. This includes information on who, what, when, where, and how.

17 key data elements recommended by the EU-IUU Union as the minimum basis for data collection.
(Material provided by: EU IUU Union)

--Of the 17 KDEs recommended by the EU IUU Union, EU fishing certificates previously required the collection of 13 KDEs. However, with the revision of the EU Fisheries Management Regulations, the required data has expanded since January 2026, and the collection of all 17 KDEs has become mandatory. Is this a recommendation from the Union?

That's right. The amendments to the EU Fisheries Management Regulations provided an opportunity for many NGO members of the Union, which is also a member of the EU Fisheries Management Union*, to propose further improvements. However, it was the European Commission and EU institutions that ultimately decided how to change them. It took a full five years to reach an agreement on the amendments to the EU Fisheries Management Regulations.

*EU Fisheries Control Coalition: A coalition of nine NGOs working to ensure that fisheries management in the EU protects the health of the oceans and marine life for future generations. It advocates for policy reforms to EU fisheries management regulations, aiming to achieve transparent supply chains and ensure sustainable fisheries.

EU member states are required to digitize fishing certificates.

--What about the EU's digital system for certification of catches, "CATCH"? Until now, paper-based catch certificates were used, but from this year, the use of the digital system has become mandatory for EU member states, correct?

The EU has operated a paper-based catch certification system for the past 15 years. The Union has been advocating for digitalization for quite some time, and the amendment to the EU Fisheries Management Regulations provided an opportunity to make it a legal requirement.

Since it was anticipated from the beginning that this would be a time-consuming process, the system itself was partially operational before it became mandatory. A period of several years of optional use was provided, giving EU member states, non-EU countries, and EU importers a chance to become familiar with the system. It was only very recently that it became a legal obligation for EU member states and EU importers.

—The mandatory implementation of digital systems only came into effect on January 10, 2026. Has the transition been progressing smoothly?

I believe digitalization is a significant step forward in the EU's efforts to combat IUU fishing. It greatly strengthens our ability to prevent seafood from entering the EU market through IUU fishing. It will also be an important tool for unifying the implementation of import regulations among EU member states. As it has only recently come into effect, I do not yet have detailed information on its implementation status.

The European Commission is holding training sessions and seminars for EU member states and is also encouraging countries outside the EU to try using the system directly, to the extent possible.

—So, for fishermen in Asian countries and Japan, the transition from existing paper-based procedures to IT systems will be a major challenge, won't it?

The use of CATCH is mandatory only for EU member states and EU importers; it remains optional for exporters outside the EU. Countries and businesses outside the EU can continue to submit paper catch certificates, but in that case, it is the responsibility of the EU importer to upload the paper information to the system.

—That must be quite a lot of work for EU importers!

That is why the European Commission is urging EU importers to engage their supply chains and encourage participation in the system now. It is also encouraging countries outside the EU to use CATCH directly and to establish interoperability with their own systems.

Towards the harmonization of import control systems in various countries

--At the 2025 Sustainable Seafood Summit in Osaka (TSSS2025), the importance of harmonizing import control systems among different countries was a central topic of discussion. How do you think we can strike a balance between the differences in each country's situation and the harmonization of these systems?

Harmony doesn't necessarily mean "every country adopting the same methods." We are well aware that countries differ in their capabilities, such as human resources, budgets, and technological infrastructure, as well as in their administrative structures and domestic circumstances. However, establishing common standards for KDE (Korean Fish Derived) is essential. This is to prevent market countries with fewer target fish species and data requirements from being targeted as destinations for illegal seafood.

A comparison of fishing certification systems in the European Union (EU), the United States, Japan, and South Korea.
(Source: "Import Control Systems in Major Fisheries Markets: A Comparative Study of Key Data Elements in the European Union, the United States, Japan, and South Korea")

The paper-based catch certification system has historically been a significant administrative burden for EU member states and importers. Japan adopted a paper-based system similar to the EU, so it's understandable that covering all fish species would be a heavy administrative burden. Therefore, while I acknowledge that a phased approach might be preferable for some countries, we must also consider the risk of mislabeling fish species to evade the obligation to submit catch certificates. Ultimately, I believe the scope should be expanded to cover all fish species in all market countries, completely eliminating any possibility of illegal seafood entering the market.

A variety of fresh fish are displayed in the shop. It is necessary to prevent the influx of seafood caught through illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
© Environmental Justice Foundation

--At TSSS2025, one opinion was expressed that "the challenge is to ensure the efficient and effective operation of the system while considering the cost burden." What are your thoughts on this?

Cost is a crucial issue. However, the fact that the EU, the US, Japan, and South Korea have all established catch certification systems indicates that there is a growing global recognition of the importance of import control systems. While introducing digital systems may incur short-term costs, the long-term reduction in operating costs and improvement in data analysis capabilities brought about by digitalization will be a significant benefit not only for importing countries but also for exporting countries.

—Many of the exporting countries are developing countries in Asia. Rather than unilaterally following the Union's recommendations, such as collecting KDEs and transitioning to digital systems, does the Union have any plans to further improve existing import control systems through international conferences or frameworks that involve many stakeholders in developing and exporting countries?

"Harmony" can only be achieved through collaborative efforts. While the EU has played a leadership role, a comprehensive process involving exporting countries, industry, and civil society is essential. Therefore, the European Commission has been conducting seminars and training workshops for exporting countries to help raise awareness of newly required KDEs, such as unique identifiers for fishing vessels (IMO numbers), fishing areas, landing ports, types of fishing gear, or fishing methods, and to promote understanding of the benefits of establishing interoperability between existing national IT systems and CATCH.

It should be noted that countries and companies outside the EU are not required to use CATCH and can continue to use paper catch certificates. The EU has no intention of increasing the burden on exporting countries, and each country can decide its own timeline for implementing CATCH.

Thomas Walsh spoke at a panel session on countermeasures against IUU fishing at TSSS2025, held in Osaka in October 2015.

Part2Now, we'll hear from him as he reflects on his childhood, when he was born and raised in a town in northern England far from the sea, yet developed an interest in the ocean. He will also share his motivation for continuing to work towards the elimination of IUU fishing and offer his requests to the Japanese fisheries industry. 

Interviewed and written by: Chiho Iuchi

He writes articles mainly about science, technology, and culture in both Japanese and English. After working for the Japan Finance Corporation for Small and Medium Enterprises (now the Japan Finance Corporation) and the English-language newspaper The Japan Times, he has been freelance since 2016. In 2024, he completed a Master's program in Sustainability Studies at the Hosei University Graduate School of Public Policy. He is a director of the Japan Council of Science and Technology Journalists.