IUUReady

THE BASICS, EXPLAINED

What is IUU fishing? Why does the paperwork matter?

IUU stands for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. These terms describe fishing activity that breaks rules, is not reported correctly, or is inconsistent with the conservation arrangements that apply.

Illegal

Fishing that breaks applicable laws or obligations, such as fishing without the required permission.

Unreported

Fishing activity that is not reported, or is reported incorrectly, to the relevant authority when reporting is required.

Unregulated

Fishing activity inconsistent with applicable conservation arrangements. The legal definition depends on the area, vessel and circumstances.

For the full definitions, read the FAO explanation of IUU fishing and the MMO’s IUU guidance.

WHY DOCUMENTS ARE INVOLVED

The authorities need information about the catch.

A catch certificate is part of the official process used to establish the legality of a catch. Other documents can explain processing, storage and the goods being shipped.

Which documents you need depends on the product and movement. Check the current GB fish-import guidance for your shipment.

The documents have different jobs

Catch certificate
Information about the catch for the applicable official process.
Commercial invoice
The supplier’s commercial description of the goods and sale.
Packing list
Details of what is packed in the shipment, including the supplied quantities.
WHERE IUUREADY FITS

Help for the person checking the pack.

IUUReady is software for preparing and comparing fish-import documents. It keeps your shipment details and private source files together and highlights selected differences or missing details.

For example, if an invoice and packing list state different net weights, the tool gives you a question to investigate. You inspect the originals and ask the supplier for clarification.

What the tool helps you do

  • Collect the paperwork for one shipment.
  • Compare selected references, descriptions and net weights.
  • Find specific details that need your attention.
  • Give the next reviewer the files and context.

It does not detect illegal fishing itself, issue or officially validate certificates, submit declarations or grant clearance.

See the checks with examples

New to the process?

Start with a guided explanation of your first shipment, from choosing a workspace to reviewing the original files.

Read the first-shipment guide

Already handle imports?

Go straight to the document comparisons and see what information each check uses.

Understand check coverage

Unfamiliar terminology?

Look up consignment, preflight, net weight, extraction and IPAFFS in plain language.

Open the glossary

YOUR NEXT CONSIGNMENT

Try checking a shipment's documents.

Apply for a pilot to review the originals, confirm shipment details and resolve findings with your team.

Apply for a pilotYou keep responsibility for the official submission.Already use IUUReady? Sign in