Additional guidance notes importers and dealers in caviar
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- Introduction
- Labelling of containers from the country of origin
- Labelling of re-packaged caviar
- Registration and record keeping
- Re-export of caviar
Introduction
Under EC Regulation 865/2006 there are special arrangements for the trade in caviar.
All species of sturgeon and paddlefish (Acipenseriformes) are listed on CITES. The CITES controls apply to live and dead specimens as well as parts and derivatives - including caviar. If you trade in caviar in any way you have a responsibility to ensure it is legally sourced. In most cases this means it will need to be part of a shipment that has a CITES import permit issued by one of the 25 EU member states, and the permit has been stamped by Customs officers on first entering the EU. If the caviar entered the UK via another EU member state and has been split up into separate shipments to move around the EU, a photocopy of the original import permit must accompany each part of the shipment.
Any person, company or organisation within the EU which re-packages caviar (ie. removes caviar from the primary container in which it was imported into the EU and puts it into new containers) must first be registered with the CITES Management Authority of that member state. In the UK, only companies or organisations registered with the Department can legally process and package or re-package caviar for export, re-export or movement within the EU.
When registered, each repackaging plant will be allocated its own unique registration number. There will be no requirement to be registered as a repackaging plant, if you only import export or re-export caviar without changing the container.
Labelling of containers from the country of origin
Caviar must be shipped in containers labelled by the processing plant in the country of origin.
These labels must contain the following information:
Labelling of re-packaged caviar
Caviar which has been imported into the EU and subsequently re-packaged must be re-labelled. An initial supply of labels will be issued to re-packaging plants upon registration (see “Registration and record keeping” below) with Defra. The labels will be non-reusable and must be affixed to the container in such a way that it cannot be opened without damaging the label; they must also contain all the information shown in the example below. Instructions about completing the labels will be given upon registration.
REMEMBER : if the label does not comply to this specification, or the container does not carry a label, the caviar may be seized by the police or Customs officials even though it may be moving within the EU free trade area.
Registration and record keeping
You can obtain a registration application form from us (see contact details below). Following registration you will be issued with an instruction pack, a six digit registration code (for example GB-1234) and an initial supply of non-reusable labels (further supplies of labels can be obtained from us on request). In addition to the information required on the registration form, the re-packaging plant may be subject to an inspection by a Defra Wildlife Inspector. Following registration, caviar re-packaging plants will be required to keep records of the quantities of caviar passing through the plant together with details of any CITES import/export/re-export permits for that caviar. Your premises will also be subject to inspection by a Defra Wildlife Inspector and, at such times, these records must be made available for inspection. Re-packaging plants are not currently required to pay a fee to be registered.
Imports from outside the EU.
All commercial imports from outside the EU will require both import and export permits
Re – export of caviar
In addition to the correct labelling requirements, if you are re-exporting caviar to countries outside the EU you will still require an additional re-export permit.
Page last modified:08 January 2008
Page published:31 January 2008