Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a global problem that threatens marine ecosystems and sustainable fishing. It can lead to the collapse of local fisheries, with small-scale fisheries in developing countries proving especially vulnerable. IUU fishing thus jeopardises food security, exacerbates poverty and disadvantages those who fish legally. The import of products from IUU fishing is prohibited in Switzerland and the EU.
The Swiss Parliament has instructed the FSVO to carry out appropriate controls, similar to those in the EU, to ensure that only marine fishery products of lawful origin – i.e. no products from IUU fishing – are imported into Switzerland (Sommaruga motion). The EU Regulation to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing (Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008) entered into force in 2010.
In Switzerland, the “Ordinance on control of the lawful origin of imported marine fishery products” (IUU Ordinance) has been legally binding since 1 March 2017. It stipulates that marine fishery products may be imported only if a valid catch certificate certifying the lawful origin of the products is presented.
Which marine fisheries products are subject to IUU control?
Consignments of marine fishery products from wild stocks listed in Annex 1 of the IUU Ordinance must be registered with the FSVO for document inspection (the main exceptions are listed in the FAQ (PDF, 895 kB, 07.12.2021)). There is no requirement to submit consignments for inspection that come from flag states listed in Annex 2 of the Ordinance.
Decision-making aid: Is a product subject to IUU control?
IUU control of marine fishery consignments
Registering marine fishery products via IUU Portal
As from 1 March 2022, consignments of notifiable marine fishery products must be registered via the IT system INPEC in the IUU Portal and submitted for inspection.
The IUU Portal of the INPEC IT application allows the digitised registration and processing of IUU controls on marine fishery consignments.
Access to IUU Portal: https://www.inpec.admin.ch/app/iuu/
Access to INPEC is possible only by means of 2-factor authentication. This gives the registered user access to their company’s account.
Access must be requested via inpec-support@blv.admin.ch.
User manual and sample documents
Training videos IUU Portal
In the training videos, the most important functions of the IUU Portal are shown and explained in detail using examples. (in French)
Training video IUU Portal: How to register a new consignment (without Traces query)?
Training video IUU Portal: How to register a consignment with processing declaration(s)?
Training video IUU Portal: How to register a new consignment (with Traces query)?
Important: Should the IUU Portal ever be out of operation for technical reasons, marine fishery consignments must be registered via email: iuu@blv.admin.ch.
IUU Portal support:
Email: inpec-support@blv.admin.ch
Telephone support: +41 58 469 30 42
Monday: 10:30 – 13:00
Tuesday: 09:00 – 12:00
Wednesday: 09:00 – 12:00
Thursday: 14:00 – 16:30
Friday: 09:00 – 12:00
Registration deadline
The responsible person (declarant/importer) must notify consignments of marine fishery products to the FSVO at least 3 working days before the planned import. In the case of consignments arriving by air, the registration deadline is 1 working day before import.
Documents to be submitted
The responsible person (declarant/importer) must submit the following documents to the FSVO in good time:
- Catch certificate
Accompanying documents:
- If applicable, processing declaration (Annex IV) if the product has been processed in a country other than the flag state
- Health Certificate or CHEDP Traces
- Transport documents (Airwaybill, B/L, T1, etc.)
- Invoice
The Catch Certificate must be fully completed, legible and validated by the competent authority of the flag state (signature and stamp).
Control and release of the consignment by the FSVO
The reported data and the submitted documents are checked. If the import conditions under Art. 4 of the IUU Ordinance are met, the FSVO releases the consignment and issues a release number.
Entering the release number in the e-dec customs declaration system
In the case of marine fishery products that require an FSVO release number, the responsible person must provide the following information in the customs declaration:
- NZE (non-Customs regulation) mandatory code: 1 (e-dec only)
- NZE species code: 202 Marine fisheries IUU (e-dec only)
- FSVO release number: enter in e-dec in the section “Documents” with document type 915 “IUU release”
Contested consignments
If documents/information are missing or the consignment details show defects, the FSVO will grant an extension of seven working days. During this period, the release of the consignment will be suspended in accordance with Art. 16 until the deficiencies are remedied. The importer is responsible for storage and storage costs.
Non-release order
If the import conditions under Art. 4 of the IUU Ordinance are not met, release of the consignment is refused and a non-release order is issued (Art. 16).
Fees
The fees (CHF 60.00 per notifiable consignment) are invoiced monthly to the importer.
FAQ IUU control
More information
Last modification 15.02.2022
