As a member of the EU Cluster for Food Traceability and Trust, TealHelix was pleased to participate in the recent webinar “Seafood Traceability: New Legal Framework”, held on 3 April 2025. The event gathered a diverse group of stakeholders from across the seafood value chain to discuss the upcoming changes to EU regulations on seafood traceability and their expected impact across the sector.
The webinar took place at an important moment, as the EU prepares to implement a new regulatory framework in two phases—beginning in 2026 and continuing into 2029. These forthcoming measures aim to simplify existing legislation while strengthening traceability requirements for both EU and imported seafood products.
One of the most significant updates is the introduction of a mandatory digital traceability system across all stages of production, applicable to both frozen and fresh products. All operators, from catch to consumer, will be required to record and transmit traceability data to the next actor in the supply chain in a digital format. This is a key development that aligns closely with TealHelix’s mission to advance digital traceability in food systems and enable transparent, secure, and reliable data flows from farm to fork.
The webinar featured contributions from contributions from several experts:
- Anne Gautrais-Le Goff introduced the forthcoming EU regulations, highlighting their scope, phased implementation, and ambition to ensure robust traceability throughout the seafood supply chain.
- Stefan Meyer presented an overview of seafood traceability in Germany, underlining the important role of private certification schemes such as MSC, and offering insights into consumer habits and how traceability information is displayed on seafood products in the market.
- Gisela Costa, a PhD candidate from the SEA2SEE project, presented her ongoing research into barriers and incentives for traceability in fisheries and aquaculture. Her methodology combines a systematic literature review with expert interviews conducted worldwide, and an in-depth review of demonstration sites.
- José Bento, representing small-scale fishermen, welcomed the new legislation but raised concerns about the practical challenges it may pose, particularly for operators without access to electricity or digital tools. He emphasised the need for targeted education to help consumers better recognise and support locally sourced seafood.
TealHelix is proud to support this collective effort to improve food system transparency and to contribute digital innovations that can help meet the traceability requirements outlined in the new legislation. As the sector moves toward greater digitalisation and sustainability, cross-sector collaboration—as seen in this webinar—will be crucial for developing solutions that are inclusive, practical, and future-proof.
The recording of the webinar is now available on the SEA2SEE YouTube channel here and the presentations can be downloaded here.