Registering buyers and sellers
We maintain a register of buyers and sellers of first sale fish and shellfish and all auction sites for the same. This is known as the Registered Buyers and Sellers (RBS) scheme and has been in operation since 2005.
The purpose of the scheme is to:
- enable individuals or companies to become registered buyers and sellers of first sale fish and shellfish, while allowing fisheries administrations to keep track of the actual amounts of fish species being sold
- improve the monitoring and control of landings of fish
- increase the traceability of fish by ensuring that all landings are properly recorded and capable of verification
In turn this will ensure fairer fish and shellfish prices for all, allowing people to obtain the freshest fish and shellfish - including being able to trace this fish and shellfish directly to vessels and stocks - and ultimately supporting the other measures in place to conserve fish and shellfish stocks.
Copies of the necessary forms are available from this webpage. We also maintain an information and guidance page for the scheme.
There is also guidance available on the EU regulations relating to the weighing of catches.