8/19/2019 Industry Advice Hygiene on Fishing Vessels

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SFPA Guide to Good Practice for Hygiene on Fishing Vessels Version 1.0 2009 

The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority is the competent authority responsible for theenforcement of sea-fisheries conservation and seafood safety legislation in Ireland

Guide to Good Practice for Hygiene on Fishing Vessels

The European Hygiene Package sets out requirements relating to placing safe seafood on themarket. The main aspects of these regulations are outlined in this guide*.

STRUCTURAL AND EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

All vessels engaged in fishing activity are required to be registered as Food Business Operators(FBO’s).

All Vessels

o  Vessels must be designed and constructed so as to protect fishery products fromcontamination by bilge-water, sewage, smoke, fuel, oil, grease or other objectionable

substances.o  Equipment, materials and surfaces that come into contact with fishery products must be made

of corrosion-resistant material that is easy to clean and disinfect.o  All surface coatings that come into contact with fishery products must be durable and non-

toxic.o  Water intake for use on fishery products must be positioned to avoid contamination of the

water supply.

Demersal and Pelagic vessels designed and equipped to preserve fresh fishery products for

over 24 hours

o  Fresh Fish and Fishery Products, Thawed Unprocessed Fishery Products and Cooked andChilled Mollusc and Crustacean Products must be maintained in suitable holds, tanks orcontainers at a temperature approaching that of melting ice (approximately 0°C to +2°C).

o  Holds and containers used for storing Fish and Fishery Products must preserve their contentsunder satisfactory conditions of hygiene, ensuring that melt water does not remain in contactwith Fish and Fishery Products stored under ice.

o  In vessels equipped for chilling Fish and Fishery Products in cooled, clean seawater, tanksmust incorporate devices for achieving a uniform temperature throughout the storage area.

Chilling rates must ensure that the mix of fish and clean seawater reaches not more that +3°Csix hours after loading and not more than 0°C after 16 hours.

o  Chilling devices must allow easy monitoring and, if necessary, recording, of temperatures.

HYGIENE REQUIREMENTS

o  Crew members must maintain a reasonable standard of hygiene and prevent contamination of

Fish or Fishery Products through contact with open wounds, sores or any other means bywhich Fish or Fishery Products intended for human consumption could be contaminated.

o  All vessels must be kept free of pests.o  All storage holds, boxes and bins which contain Fish or Fishery Products must be maintained

clean and in such a state of repair that prevents contamination of the contents.o  Fish and Fishery Products retained on board must be washed, where required, with either

 potable water or clean sea water. Harbour water should not be used.o  Ice that is used to chill Fish or Fishery Products must be made from either potable water or

clean sea water. Harbour water should not be used.o  Fish and Fishery products must be handled and stored so as to prevent bruising and damage.

o 

Heading and/or gutting of fish must be carried out hygienically as soon as is reasonably practicable after capture and the eviscerated products must be washed immediately andthoroughly with either potable water or clean seawater.

8/19/2019 Industry Advice Hygiene on Fishing Vessels

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SFPA Guide to Good Practice for Hygiene on Fishing Vessels Version 1.0 2009 

o  Any viscera or other fish parts that may constitute a danger to public health must be keptsecurely apart from products intended for human consumption, to prevent contamination.

o  For vessels targetting Nephrops, manufacturers’ guidelines for usage should be

followed. A typical Metabisulphite mix of 4% (1kg of powder dissolved in 25 litres of

water) should be used when dipping and the dipping solution must be changed after

every tow. If Sulphites have been used for this purpose this fact must be clearly labelled

on any packaging or presentation material when the product is brought to market.

There are some non-sulphite alternatives available that are not subject to allergenlabelling.

o  Cartilaginous fish, such as Skates, Rays, Spurdog and Sharks, should be stored separatelyfrom or below other species, as they excrete Ammonia, which will contaminate other species,such as Whitefish.

o  Fish retained alive onboard must be maintained at a temperature and in a manner that doesnot adversely affect food safety.

o  Where Fishery Products are wrapped onboard, the wrapping material must not be a source of

contamination and must be easy to clean and disinfect if intended for re-use.o  Livers and Roes intended for human consumption must be preserved either under ice or at a

temperature approaching that of melting ice (ie. 0°C to +2°C) or frozen.o  Where freezing in brine of whole fish intended for canning is carried out, a core temperature

of -9°C or lower must be achieved throughout the product. In addition, the brine must not be

a source of contamination for the fish.

Freezer Vesselso  In addition to the criteria already outlined for other vessel types, these vessels must retain

onboard documentation outlining evidence of a Food Safety Management System based onHACCP principles.

o  Contain freezing equipment (for example a Blast Freezer) capable of rapidly lowering the

core temperature of the stored fishery products to -18°C or lower and maintaining the coretemperature at this level.

o  Incorporate in the fish storage hold a calibrated, easily read and examined temperature

recording device, positioned in that part of the hold where temperature is highest.

Factory Vessels

In addition to the criteria already outlined for other vessel types, factory vessels must:-o  Provide for direct disposal into the sea of waste or Fishery Products not fit for human

consumption. Should such waste be stored and processed on board with a view to itssanitation, separate areas must be allocated for such purpose.

o  Store packaging materials separately to product preparation and processing areas.o  If freezing of Fish or Fishery Products onboard vessels must fulfil the requirements laid

down for freezer vessels.o  Staff engaged in handling exposed Fishery Products must have access to hand-washing

equipment with taps designed to prevent the spread of contamination.

RELATED LEGISLATION

 EU Regulation 178 of 2002 (General principles and requirements of food law)

 EU Regulation 852 of 2004 (General Hygiene of foodstuffs) EU Regulation 853 of 2004 (Specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin) EU Regulation 854 of 2004 (Rules for official controls of products of animal origin destined forhuman consumption) EU Regulation 882 of 2004 (Official controls to verify compliance with feed and food law,

animal health and welfare rules)

* The information contained herein is intended solely for guidance purposes. For a full legalinterpretation of the legislation, the relevant EU Regulations must be consulted.