What’s going on? The CATCH IT system was designed to be the EU’s definitive weapon against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing – a phenomenon that a 2009 study estimated drained over $10bn-$23bn from the global economy in 2003. The IUU Fishing regulation to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing has been in force since 1 January 2010 and the IUU Fishing Risk Index was created in 2019 to score different countries’ efforts. Despite these measures, estimates suggest that global IUU catches are equal to 13%-31% of fish in production.

Catch certificates – Before the digital 2026 requirements came into force, fishing numbers were reported via a paper “catch certificate” – an import document which certifies that products were caught in compliance with national and international fishing laws as well as conservation and management metrics. The document declared the state flag the ship was operating under, however the paper system came with many problems.

Loopholes in the old system – The paper system was exploited by systematic fraud. Copies of the same catch certificate could be used to import multiple catches at multiple EU member state entry points, because there was no centralised European system to conduct cross-checks on other member states. Uneven enforcement across member states also created a problem, as importers with “high-risk” seafood knew to go to ports such as the Netherlands which check less than 5% of fish imports from non-EU vessels, compared to Spain which would check over 70%. With over 250,000 catch certificates in the EU annually, the quantity to physically check was also near-impossible.

Welcoming CATCH – The CATCH IT system entered into play to confront the problems with the paper system, but there have been teething issues from the start. Countries such as Spain report a lack of integration with current custom control systems, leading to loss of stock due to ship imports being refused. The system also contains both software and technical gaps, delivering server error messages and not including all fish species and postal codes for the countries that need to use it. Furthermore, catch certificates from non-EU countries must be uploaded in PDF format to the system. However, for big catches, the initial file size limit of 2 MB was too small.

Mounting concern – As well as issues with the technology and software, the strict parameters such as recording catches from zero kg and small margins of tolerance are proving “unworkable in practice”, increasing the likelihood of heavy fines for companies due to breaking unattainable standards. Organisations have asked for the CATCH IT system enforcement to be postponed until January 2027 to leave time for frictions to be smoothed. Nevertheless, the European Commission still seems adamant at continuing with implementation, introducing “flexibilities temporarily” while users adjust to the system.

Proof of the catch – The CATCH system confirms that the seafood industry in Europe is trending towards data specificity rather than estimates, traceability premiums and the integration of digital systems into everyday operational tasks. While wild-catch fisheries grapple with these new rules, the aquaculture sector has been driving digital automation and monitoring for years throughout the value chain. Companies such as aquaManager enable the production of reliable, structured and transparent data in aquaculture to help with regulations and policy, as well as contributing to the development of more sustainable farming methods.

Looking ahead – The establishment of CATCH demonstrates the need for data-driven supply chains and the prioritisation of automation going forward across both wild and farmed fishing. Transparency is the new currency in the seafood industry.