New European Union food safety regulations are expected to affect approximately 97 per cent of Pacific Island-flagged vessels currently authorised to export seafood to the European market, prompting regional efforts to strengthen compliance and protect market access.
National Competent Authority (NCA) officials from Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu recently completed a two-week technical training programme in Suva focused on the requirements of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1449, which entered into force on 27 January 2026.
The training, held from 25 May to 4 June, was organised by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) through the European Union-funded Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP II) programme.
The new regulation introduces stricter technical requirements for freezer vessels following concerns raised by EU auditors over failures to achieve required freezing temperatures across parts of the global tuna supply chain.
According to FFA, some cannery-grade tuna frozen at temperatures above the required standard had been marketed for direct human consumption, raising food safety concerns.
FFA Market Access Specialist Ratu Jope Tamani said improper freezing can result in the formation of histamine in fish flesh, posing a health risk to consumers.
"When tuna is not frozen correctly, bacteria produce histamine in the fish flesh, a toxin that cannot be removed by cooking or further processing and that causes scombroid poisoning, with symptoms ranging from rashes and nausea to severe allergic reaction," Tamani said.
The EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed recorded an increasing number of such incidents, prompting the introduction of the regulation.
Under the new rules, tuna products will be divided into two categories. Fish frozen at temperatures above minus 18 degrees Celsius, including tuna frozen at around minus 9 degrees Celsius, may only be supplied to canneries. Fish intended for direct human consumption, including sashimi and fresh tuna products, must be frozen to minus 18 degrees Celsius or colder.
The regulation also requires brine freezer vessels to install real-time electronic temperature monitoring systems and submit validated freezing capacity plans before they can be included on the EU's approved register.
Tamani said the training programme was designed to help Pacific Island governments meet the new compliance requirements.
"The compliance responsibility sits with the National Competent Authority of our Pacific Island nations. Our job is to make sure they have the technical knowledge to carry it out. That is what protects our countries' place in the EU market and the revenue that comes with it," he said.
Fiji Food Safety Unit head and National Competent Authority representative Taina Rauvala said compliance could prove challenging for some operators, particularly those relying on brine freezing systems.
"There is some pushback expected from those using brine freezing. Getting the NCA and industry on the same page is our immediate challenge," Rauvala said.
She noted that Fiji currently enjoys duty-free access to the EU under its Interim Economic Partnership Agreement and warned that maintaining compliance is critical to preserving that market access.
Officials from Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Tuvalu also highlighted the importance of technical training and regulatory preparedness as Pacific nations work to maintain access to one of the world's most valuable seafood markets.
The training programme covered vessel engineering, refrigeration systems, temperature controls, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles and EU audit requirements.
FFA said similar training has already been conducted in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia, with Papua New Guinea scheduled to receive training as regional authorities continue preparations for the implementation of the new EU requirements.
