S.L. 425.18 Art. 6Identification and documentation requirements.

(1) Each consignment of bluefin tuna domestically traded, imported into or exported from Malta shall be accompanied by a validated eBCD.

(2) Domestic trade, export, import and re-export of fish parts other than meat, including heads, eyes, roes, guts and tails, shall be exempted from the requirements of sub-regulations (1) and (8).

(3) Any trading of bluefin tuna in whole, gilled, gutted, or dressed form, or in any other form of presentation, and originating from Maltese operators, including any vessel and, or aquaculture establishment, when landed as natural mortalities from bluefin tuna aquaculture establishments or for fresh trade from bluefin tuna aquaculture establishments, shall be accompanied by identification tags:

Provided that this sub-regulation shall not apply in cases of harvesting by aquaculture establishments on reefer vessels or aquaculture establishment vessels other than natural mortalities of bluefin tuna within farming cages.

(4) All bluefin tuna landings, irrespective of their origin, shall be notified to the Director at least four (4) hours prior to the time of landing:

Provided that the Director may accept a shorter time period if the fishing grounds or aquaculture establishment of origin is less than four (4) hours away from the landing grounds.

(5) The operators trading bluefin tuna originating from landings of Maltese authorised fishing vessels are to submit to the Director the following set of documents, as applicable, immediately after the landing operation and at least two (2) hours before the actual export or trade operation:

(a) a copy of the landing sheet and fishing logbook of the vessel which landed the bluefin tuna;

(b) the accompanying proof of purchase, such as sales vouchers or sales notes;

(c) a duly filled transport document showing the details and headings as required in the Schedule;

(d) the air waybill in the event that the product is being transported by air freight; and, or

(e) any other document that the Director may specifically require.

(6) Following the registration and validation of the catch and the first trade in the eBCD system, the registration of information on subsequent trades of bluefin tuna traded as Gilled and Gutted (GG) and, or Dressed (DR) that is marketed up to the local trade of the BFT between retailers and prior to the sale to consumers shall also be reported within the eBCD system.

(7) All further domestic trades of bluefin tuna after the second trade shall be traceable to a validated eBCD by means of a sales invoice clearly indicating the origin of the bluefin tuna being offered for sale.

(8) All exports and trades shall be registered and validated in the eBCD prior to the departure of bluefin tuna and tuna products from Malta.