Processing, presentation and marketing information for fish
Updated 12 September 2024
© Crown copyright 2024
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/buyers-and-sellers-of-first-sale-fish-and-submission-of-sales-notes/processing-presentation-and-marketing-information-for-fish
This is a list of the most common processing methods and their presentation codes used in reporting catch information. A comprehensive list of all codes can be found in Annex I Tables 1& 2 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 404/2011.
0.1 Common presentation codes
This is a list of the most common presentation codes used in reporting catch information. A comprehensive list of all codes can be found in Annex I Table 1 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 404/2011.
| Code | Presentation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| WHL | Whole | No processing |
| GUT | Gutted | All guts removed |
| GUH | Gutted and headed | Guts and head removed |
| GHT | Gutted, headed and tailed | Guts, head and tail removed |
| HEA | Headed | Heads removed |
| TAL | Tail | Tails only |
| WNG | Wings | Wings only |
| FIL | Filleted | Headed, gutted, tailed and bones removed resulting in two fillets from each fish |
| FIS | Skinned fillets | Processed as fillets with additionally the skin removed |
| CLA | Claws | Claws only |
| ROE | Roe(s) | Roes only |
0.2 State of processing
This is a list of the processing codes used in reporting catch information, as shown at Annex I Table 2 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 404/2011.
| Code | State |
|---|---|
| ALI | Alive |
| BOI | Boiled |
| DRI | Dried |
| FRE | Fresh |
| FRO | Frozen |
| SAL | Salted |
0.3 Common species to which Marketing Standards applies
This is a list of the most common species found in UK waters to which marketing standards regulation apply. For a full list of which fishery products this legislation applies see article 3 of Council Regulation (EC) 2406/96.
| Species | Scientific name |
|---|---|
| Anchovy | Engraulis spp |
| Black sea bream | Spondyliosoma cantharus |
| Cod | Gadus morhua |
| Conger | Conger conger |
| Cuttlefish | Sepia officinalis |
| Dab | Limanda limanda |
| Edible crab | Cancer pagarus |
| Flounder | Platichthys flesus |
| Gurnard | Trigla spp |
| Haddock | Melanogrammus aeglefinus |
| Hake | Merluccius merluccius |
| Herring | Clupea harengus |
| Horse mackerel | Trachurus spp |
| Lemon sole | Microstomus kitt |
| Ling | Molva molva |
| Mackerel | Scomber spp |
| Megrim | Lepidorhombus spp |
| Mullet | Mugil spp |
| Norway lobster | Nephrops norvegicus |
| Plaice | Pleuronectes platessa |
| Pollack | Pollachius pollachius |
| Pouting | Trisopterus luscus |
| Saithe (Coalfish) | Pollachius virens |
| Sardine | Sardina pilchardus |
| Scallop | Pecten maximus |
| Sole | Solea spp |
| Sprat | Sprattus sprattus |
| Whelk | Buccinum undatum |
| Whiting | Merlangius merlangus |
0.4 Marketing standards
The common marketing standards for certain fishery products with respect to size and freshness are shown below, for detailed guidelines including which fishery products this legislation applies see Council Regulation (EC) 2406/96.
| Freshness | Size |
|---|---|
| E: Extra | 1 - 8 Size category |
| A: A | 1 - 8 Size category |
| B: B | 1 - 8 Size category |
| U: Ungraded | 9 Ungraded |
0.5 Destination of fish
| Destination code | Destination |
|---|---|
| BAI | Bait |
| COV | Carry Over |
| HCN | Human Consumption |
| IND | Industrial uses |
| WDR | Withdrawn from the market |