SEAFISH have provided the following guidance for fishers wanting to sell their catch directly to consumers in Scotland:
- There is a limit of up to 25kg per transaction from fishermen to a consumer buying for their own personal consumption. So, fishermen can sell multiple lots up of 25kg each day providing that the buyer is only purchasing for personal consumption.
- Any single sale that exceeds the 25kg limit can only take place if there is a registered buyer/seller as part of the transaction. (Very unlikely for door to door personal consumption transactions).
- For under 10m vessels, vessel owners are legally obliged to complete their Fish 1 form so there is record of what has been caught and landed.
- We recommend that fishermen create invoices for each sale. This will be expected for tax purposes anyway. This also acts as a record of who the fish has been sold to and prevents fishermen from being at risk if the buyer then sells on to another person, or business.
- Fishermen can only sell fish that has been caught on their vessel. It is not possible for a fisherman to buy or take from another or multiple vessels and then sell direct without complying with the full buyers and sellers regulations.
- Live bivalve shellfish (mussels and oysters) and scallops can be at risk of contamination if not handled correctly. These products can only be sold to the public if they have come from an approved premises. You must not sell these species direct to consumers. You can sell live crustacean shellfish (crabs, lobsters, langoustines etc) direct to the public from your fishing boat.
