Food Safety

Ensuring food safety in the fish chain and improving information and awareness among end consumers are two of Docapesca's strategic objectives, as fundamental factors for the attractiveness of the first sale at auction and as a contribution to enhancing the value of fish. The growing commitment to the certification of the fish auctions' food safety management system, a process that began in 2017, is an example of this commitment. Since then, 13 of the 26 auctions with a veterinary control number in Docapesca's network have been certified under the ISO 22000:2018 standard.

Docapesca - Portos e Lotas, S.A., with the collaboration of the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere, I.P., entities under the supervision of the Ministry of the Sea, has launched the National Code of Good Practice for Fishing Vessels. 

The aim of this publication is to make shipowners and their crew aware of the need to comply with legislation and apply good practices on board their vessels. It is based on EU and national legislation on fish hygiene and safety, keeping up-to-date the procedures aimed at increasing the quality of fish unloaded at the auctions on the Portuguese mainland and, in this way, contributing to its recovery. 

Authored by Alcina Sousa, Carla Mirra Tabaio, Cláudia Teixeira, Isabel Guerreiro and Tânia Pereira (Docapesca) and Narcisa Bandarra and Sónia Pedro (IPMA), the document was also approved by the Directorate General for Food and Veterinary (DGAV) and published on the European Commission's website (Register of national guides to good hygiene practices). 

• See the National Code of Good Practice for Fishing Vessels here. 

• Watch the Presentation Session of the National Code of Good Practices.