---
id: KB-AL-041
url: https://stage.codecontract.io/help/food-and-beverage/what-catch-is-and-who-it-applies-to
idioma: en
categoria: sector-alimentacion
subcategoria: normativa-pesca
audiencia: usuario
nivel: basico
actualizado: 2026-08-13
tambienEn: [es]
relacionados: [KB-CS-024, KB-AL-042, KB-AL-044]
citadoPor: [KB-CS-024, KB-AL-042, KB-AL-043, KB-AL-045]
---

# What CATCH in TRACES is and who it applies to since 2026

_Since 10 January 2026 the catch certificate is processed in CATCH. What changed and for whom._

**Responde a:** what is eu catch · catch traces system fisheries · iuu regulation 1005 2008 · catch mandatory 2026 importers · digital catch certificate mandatory

CATCH is the part of TRACES NT where catch certificates and their accompanying documents are processed. **Since 10 January 2026 its use has been mandatory for European Union operators**, and a new template applies from that same date. Paper and electronic used to coexist; now paper enters through one specific door, and that door is what generates most of the confusion.

## The rules behind it

| Rule | What it establishes | Since |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Regulation (EC) 1005/2008 | The catch certification scheme against IUU fishing | 2010 |
| Regulation (EU) 2023/2842 | Amends it and brings electronic processing | — |
| **CATCH mandatory** | **EU operators process within the system** | **10-01-2026** |

> [!IMPORTANT]
> **«Mandatory» does not mean paper disappears: it means paper enters the system.** A certificate validated by the flag State before 10 January 2026 still exists, and CATCH has a specific option for it. What no longer works is processing outside the system.

## Who does what, which orders everything else

| Role | Who that usually is | What they do in CATCH |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Non-EU exporter | The supplier at origin | **Originates** the electronic certificate |
| Flag authority | The vessel country's administration | Validates it |
| EU operator | **You, if you import** | **Transcribes** paper or reuses the electronic one |
| Processor | Whoever processes the product | Adds the Processing Statement |

> [!WARNING]
> The sector's most expensive misconception is that the importer «fills in the certificate». **They do not: they either reuse the one the exporter originated, or transcribe a paper one** — and that transcription opens a different flow, with its own serial number and its own responsibility. Starting on the wrong flow means redoing it entirely.

## What decides whether this costs you a lot or a little

1. **Know which of the four roles you hold** — It is not obvious when buying from a trader who in turn buys from a vessel owner.
2. **Check whether the certificate predates 10 January 2026** — It decides which option to pick when creating it, and it cannot be changed later.
3. **Gather the origin data before entering the system** — Vessel, area, dates and weights come from third parties; TRACES does not wait.
4. **And know whether a Processing Statement will also be needed** — If the product is processed, the certificate is only half of it.

> [!NOTE]
> **Procedure verified in 2026-08** against the European Commission's official help (https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/IMSOC/tracesnt-help), CATCH section. TRACES is operated by the Commission and **may change without notice**: if you are processing a consignment, check against that same source. And one distinction worth keeping clear — this describes **how the system works**; **whether it applies to you, with what scope and what happens if you do not comply is for the competent authority and your adviser to determine**.

**Does this apply if I only buy from a Spanish supplier?**

It depends on the product's origin, not your supplier. The competent authority determines that.

**I hold paper certificates from before 2026 — are they valid?**

The system has a specific option for those validated by the flag State before 10 January 2026.

**Who creates the certificate, the exporter or me?**

The non-EU exporter originates it. The EU operator reuses it or transcribes a paper one.

## Ejemplos

**Nobody knows whether the company is exporter, importer or processor in CATCH.**

- Records each party's role in the file

→ You enter the right flow first time.

**A 2025 paper certificate arrives and nobody knows which option to pick.**

- Keeps the validation date with the document

→ The system option is chosen with the fact in hand.

**The product gets processed and nobody planned for the Processing Statement.**

- Records whether the consignment will be processed at intake

→ The second document is not a surprise.

**Origin data sits with the vessel owner and arrives late.**

- Requests the data from the supplier before shipment

→ The formality starts with everything to hand.