Brochure - Catch Documentation Scheme for Toothfish (Dissostichus sp.)

Catch Documentation Scheme for Toothfish (Dissostichus species)
Canadian Import and Re-export Requirements (PDF Version - 182 kb)

Published by:
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
DFO/2011-1750 Également disponible en français.
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada 2011

What species are covered under the Catch Documentation Scheme?

Fish Name (scientific name)	Also known as	Required Name on Notification (scientific name)
Patagonian Toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides)	Seabass or Chilean Seabass	Patagonian Toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides)
Antarctic Toothfish (Dissostichus Mawsoni)	Seabass	Antarctic Toothfish (Dissostichus Mawsoni)

Contact Information

Catch Certification Program: Operations Centre
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
PO Box 99 Tignish, PEI C0B 2B0
www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/ccp-pcc

Tel: 1-888-641-6464 (toll-free in North America)
Tel: 902-775-7103
Fax: 902-775-7100
Email: CCO-BCC_Info@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Further details of the Catch Documentation Scheme are available on the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources’s website.

Requirements for documenting trade of toothfish internationally

In response to concerns that overfishing and illegal fishing were threatening toothfish stock, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, a 24-country regional fisheries management organization, established a Catch Documentation Scheme for toothfish.

The Catch Documentation Scheme tracks international trade in toothfish products and requires that all landings, transshipments, imports and exports of toothfish be accompanied by documentation identifying the origins of the toothfish and proof that the fish have been legally caught.

Although not a member of the Commission, Canada agreed in 2004 to voluntarily implement the Catch Documentation Scheme.

What do I need to do if I wish to import toothfish into Canada?

1. Ensure the exporter has included a Dissostichus Catch Document with the shipment. This document is issued to exporters by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.

2. Inform Fisheries and Oceans Canada of your intention to import toothfish by submitting the form entitled: Notification of Intention to Import Toothfish (Dissostichus sp.). The form must be submitted to the Catch Certification Program’s Operation Centre at least 72 hours before the expected time of arrival of the shipment. (See Contact Information at the back of this brochure). Please include a copy of the Dissostichus Catch Document with the form.

What do I need to do to re-export toothfish from Canada?

Submit a request for a re-export Dissostichus Catch Document to the Catch Certification Program’s Operation Centre. This request must be made at least 72 hours before the expected date of export. Requests can be sent by telephone, fax, letter or e-mail . (See Contact Information at the back of this brochure).

The request will be reviewed. Once approved, the Operation Centre will forward you a re-export Dissostichus Catch Document form to be completed. Once this form has been validated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the product can be re-exported. The information will also be included to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources database so that it can be verified by the importing country.

Why is it important to provide this information to Fisheries and Oceans Canada?

This information allows Fisheries and Oceans Canada to identify the origins of the toothfish product and demonstrate that the fish was legally caught.

If the information provided to the Commission does not match the information provided to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Department will investigate the reasons for the difference. This will include, as a first step, contacting the Canadian importer and verifying that the information sent is correct.

Notification of Intention to Import Toothfish (Dissostichus sp.) Into Canadian Ports

Below is an image of the form: Notification of Intention to Import Toothfish (Dissostichus sp.). It needs to be filled out by importers of toothfish. The form is available at : www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/ccp-pcc