Fisheries Certificate System
(FCS)

Starting January 01 2010, all countries exporting fish and fish products to EU countries will be expected to provide certification of information contained within the European Community Catch Certificate.   

Select the image to access the development environment version
(a guest user account is required)

Access the XML Schema
 

The European Union (EU) community's  adoption of regulation (EC) N° 1005/2008 establishes a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is aimed at  controlling the detrimental effects of  illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
 

 "Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing constitutes one of the most serious threats to the sustainable exploitation of living aquatic resources and jeopardises the very foundation of the common fisheries policy and international efforts to promote better ocean governance. IUU fishing also represents a major threat to marine biodiversity which needs to be addressed in accordance with the objectives set out in the Communication from the Commission — Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 — and beyond." (COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1005/2008 of 29 September 2008)

Part of the approach to control IUU includes improved reporting  and the general reform of the fisheries control system thereby providing product  lifecycle visibility and traceability.   The regulations promote the ability to identify where products have come from and where they are going, and to rapidly provide this information to the recognized authorities.

  The implementation of the regulations has been through the gradual acquisition of detailed product information through trace partners within the product lifecycle.  For fishery products, the trade partners include the fisher, processor, exporter, distributor and importer.

 Since the inception of the regulations, a number of committees and working groups have been established by the EU to identify standardized processes, governance structures and information communication standards.  The EU has published guidelines which require business operators to document the names and addresses of the supplier and customer in each case, as well as the nature of the product and date of delivery.

 As part of the next steps in the regulation's evolution, there is now a requirement for certification of the information being reported by the trace partners. The certification is to only be provided by EU recognized authorities. 

Link to the Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008
Opens in a new window

Technology Solution

Adhartas Consulting Inc., in conjunction with the Fisheries and Oceans Canada has built a web-based application to support the creation of EU compliant Catch Certificates.  The Fisheries Certificate System (FCS) can be used by other countries to meet the January 01, 2010 EU deadline for issuing certificates. 

Features

Some of the key design features include:

·         Web Based Design:   The application will be available from anywhere in the world through a web link.  Applications can be created on-line forms or through an XML upload from exporter company systems.

·         N-Tier Architecture:  The multiple layers ensures that the data is secure.

·         Role Based: The role based architecture controls who can perform specific application functions and access specific data.

·         Security Coding: The system uses security codes to protect the registration process and the View Certificate function.  To access these functions, codes will be required that will only be available on paper or through directed e-mails.

·         Leverage Existing Components:  The application is structured to leverage and integrate with other source systems to maximize the reuse of corporate data and information assets.

·         EU Verified Compliance:  The conceptual design was presented to  EU authorities to confirm that the process and output were acceptable.

Functionality

• Multi Lingual

• Exporter Company On Line Registration

• Creation and Submission of Catch Certificates

• Validation of Applications by Validating Agency

• Printing of Approved Catch Certificates with Security Coding

• Forwarding and Consolidating of Multiple Approved Catch Certificates

• Viewing of Certificate Information by Regulatory Authorities

• Supports full end-to-end auditing by Validating Agency

• Standard System Functionality such as Reporting, User Administration,

 Link to a summary of the Council Regulation
Opens in a new window

        

Developed with a focus on the best practices encountered in leading sales forces.