What Catch Certificate does

Catch Certificate SA is a Norwegian cooperative that operates the official statutory portal (www.catchcertificate.no) for issuing and validating electronic catch certificates, storage declarations, and producer declarations for Norwegian wild-caught fish exports. The company was established in 2009/2010 to implement EU Council Regulation EC 1005/2008, which aims to prevent, deter, and eliminate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. It is owned by the five Norwegian fish sales organizations (Norges Sildesalgslag, Vest-Norges Fiskesalslag, Sunnmøre og Romsdal Fiskesalslag, Fiskehav, and Norges Råfisklag), which collectively sell first-hand wild-caught fish and form the underlying data backbone for every certificate issued. The portal supports catch certificates for export destinations including the EU, UK, China, Japan, Serbia, Ukraine, and the USA, with automatic multi-country template generation based on destination customs codes.

The core product suite comprises the Catch Certificate Portal (web-based issuance and validation of catch certificates, storage declarations, and producer declarations, plus Pre-landing and Prior Notification for EU/GB port arrivals), the CatchSign mobile app (iOS and Android) for electronic signing of certificates, the FAO Catch Map for geographic documentation, an EU Tariff Reference Tool, and an Import Authority Control Module. The CatchSign app handles approximately 230,000 signings per year across all five sales organizations. The platform is being upgraded for January 2026 to enable electronic data exchange with EU authorities under the revised EU Control Regulation, with parallel updates to UK requirements. From 31 December 2024, the EU/GB Pre-landing and Prior Notification requirement was extended to vessels arriving without fish on board.

The business model is cooperative and statutory rather than commercial. Access requires prior approval: exporters via Norges Sjømatråd (Norwegian Seafood Council) and producers via Mattilsynet (Norwegian Food Safety Authority). No public pricing is disclosed; the only fee mentioned is a NOK 2 first-time SMS PIN delivery cost. The company has 1-10 employees and is managed by Bjørg Granberg as Daglig Leder. Go-to-market is referral-driven through the five owner sales organizations, Norges Sjømatråd, and Mattilsynet, with no traditional sales motion. Distribution is entirely digital via the portal and CatchSign app. Validation authorities include the Directorate of Fisheries and the five sales organizations, which have been notified to the European Commission under Article 20(1) of the IUU Regulation.

Name

Catch Certificate

Legal name

Catch Certificate SA

Website

https://catchcertificate.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Catch Certificate SA, a Norwegian cooperative owned by the five national fish sales organizations, operates the statutory web portal and CatchSign mobile app for issuing and validating electronic catch certificates and related declarations for Norwegian wild-caught seafood exports under EU IUU Regulation EC 1005/2008.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regulatory Compliance Software

NAICS

Fishing (11411)

SIC

Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)

akta.pro primary industry

Seafood & Aquaculture Certification Services (MSC/ASC/BAP) (AFALAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Certification Program Administration & Scheme Management (Standard Owners) (AFALACAC)

Keywords

• Catch certificate issuance
• Electronic certification portal
• Seafood export documentation
• IUU fishing compliance
• Wild-caught fish traceability

Headquarters

HQ city

Bergen

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-mandated certification services: Catch Certificate SA operates a statutory portal for issuing and validating catch certificates required under Council Regulation EC 1005/2008 for exports from Norway to the EU. The service is a regulatory infrastructure tool mandated by law; no explicit revenue model is disclosed on the website. The entity appears to be a cooperative owned by the five Norwegian fish sales organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Catch Certificate SA operates a web-based electronic portal (www.catchcertificate.no) that issues and validates catch certificates, storage declarations, producer declarations, landing documents, and Pre-landing/Prior Notification filings for Norwegian wild-caught fish exports. The service is mandated by EU Council Regulation EC 1005/2008 to prevent IUU fishing and is supported by the CatchSign mobile application for electronic signing, with access restricted to approved exporters and producers.

Product overview

Catch Certificate SA operates a unified web portal (www.catchcertificate.no) for issuing, validating, and managing electronic catch certificates and related documentation for Norwegian wild-caught seafood exports. The core product suite includes the Catch Certificate Portal (for producing and signing Fangstsertifikat, Lagererklæring, Produsenterklæring, and landing documents), supplemented by the CatchSign mobile app for electronic document signing. Supporting modules include an FAO Catch Map for geographic documentation, an EU Tariff Reference Tool, and an Import Authority Control Module allowing authorities to electronically validate certificates. The platform is developed to comply with EU Council Regulation EC 1005/2008 and handles electronic data exchange with EU authorities from January 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CatchSign: Mobile application for electronic signing of catch certificates, landing documents, and producer declarations. Used for approximately 230,000 signings annually across all sales organizations.

Products and services

• Catch Certificate Portal Web-based portal (www.catchcertificate.no) for issuing, validating, and managing electronic catch certificates (fangstsertifikater), storage declarations (lagererklæringer), producer declarations (produsenterklæringer), landing documents, and Pre-landing/Prior Notification filings for Norwegian wild-caught fish exports. All documents are signed electronically with GPS coordinates and timestamps. Used by approved Norwegian exporters and producers.
• CatchSign App Mobile application (Android and iOS) for electronic signing of catch certificates, landing documents, storage declarations, and producer declarations. CatchSign 2.0, released November 2025, features improved design and usability. Handles approximately 230,000 signings per year across all five Norwegian fish sales organizations.
• FAO Catch Map Interactive map displaying catch areas, FAO statistical areas, national borders, catch locations, and landing facilities for Norwegian fisheries, supporting exporters in providing accurate geographic documentation on catch certificates.
• EU Tariff Reference Tool Reference guide providing updated Norwegian and EU tariff codes and quotas for fish and fish products exported to the EU, updated annually.
• Import Authority Control Module Module allowing import authorities to electronically fill in Rubrik 11 (Import Declaration) on Norwegian catch certificates and approve or reject certificates using the CatchSign app.

Quantifiable outcome

• 230,000 signings of landing notes and catch certificates per year via CatchSign

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Japan — Agreed Record on catch certificatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2022Japan introduced catch certificate requirements for four species (squid/cuttlefish, Pacific saury, mackerel, sardine) exported from Norway, effective approximately December 1, 2022. Catch Certificate portal issues certificates in Japanese format for these species.
• Storbritannia / United Kingdom — Agreed Record on catch certificatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Following Brexit, Norway and the UK established a new catch certificate agreement effective January 1, 2021. From January 2026, the UK will require catch certificates aligned with the EU format. No electronic data exchange with UK exists.
• Kina / China — Agreed Record on catch certificatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 September 2017Formal agreement between Norway and China on catch certificates for seafood exports. Chinese authorities require listing of approved production facilities for seafood exports to China.
• Serbia — Agreed Record on catch certificatesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 August 2017Formal agreement between Norway and Serbia on catch certificates under Council Regulation EC 1005/2008.
• USA — Catch certificate issuance for SIMP (Seafood Import Monitoring Program)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2010Since October 2021, Catch Certificate can issue signed and validated catch certificates for shipments to the USA. Unlike the EU, there is no formal inter-governmental agreement; Norwegian authorities lifted the restriction on issuing certificates to non-agreement countries.
• Norges Sildesalgslag (Norwegian Herring Sales Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Norges Sildesalgslag is one of the five Norwegian fish sales organizations that organize first-hand sales of wild-caught fish. As an owner of Catch Certificate SA, it participates in the governance of the catch certificate portal and handles final sales note processing that forms the basis for catch certificates.
• Vest-Norges Fiskesalslag (West Norway Fish Sales Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Vest-Norges Fiskesalslag is one of the five Norwegian fish sales organizations organizing first-hand sales of wild-caught fish. As an owner of Catch Certificate SA, it participates in governance of the portal.
• Sunnmøre og Romsdal Fiskesalslag (Sunnmøre and Romsdal Fish Sales Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Sunnmøre og Romsdal Fiskesalslag is one of the five Norwegian fish sales organizations organizing first-hand sales of wild-caught fish. As an owner of Catch Certificate SA, it participates in governance of the portal.
• FiskehavcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Fiskehav is one of the five Norwegian fish sales organizations organizing first-hand sales of wild-caught fish. As an owner of Catch Certificate SA, it participates in governance of the portal.
• Norges Råfisklag (Norwegian Raw Fish Sales Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Norges Råfisklag is one of the five Norwegian fish sales organizations organizing first-hand sales of wild-caught fish. As an owner of Catch Certificate SA, it participates in governance of the portal.
• EU (European Union) — formal Agreed Record under IUU Regulation EC 1005/2008coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Formal Agreed Record between Norway and the European Union on catch certificates under Council Regulation EC 1005/2008. Catch Certificate portal issues and validates catch certificates for Norwegian fishery product exports to the EU under Articles 12(4) and 20(4) of the regulation. From January 2026, electronic data exchange with EU authorities is enabled.
• Norges Sjømatråd (Norwegian Seafood Council)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorges Sjømatråd approves exporters who are eligible to use the Catch Certificate portal. The portal maintains close coordination with Norges Sjømatråd for tariff information and market access guidance.
• Mattilsynet (Norwegian Food Safety Authority)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMattilsynet approves seafood producers who are eligible to use the Catch Certificate portal. It also handles health certificate requirements for exports to China.
• Fiskeridirektoratet (Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFiskeridirektoratet is one of the notified authorities for verification of Norwegian catch certificates under Article 20(1) of the IUU Regulation. Also responsible for quantity control pilot in the CC portal.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• DNV: International certification and assurance body with seafood supply-chain services. Provides certification schemes that overlap with regulatory seafood documentation, comparable to Catch Certificate but serving a far broader portfolio of industries.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification giant with seafood and fisheries services. Operates at much larger scale across many sectors; comparable in offering certification and verification services that touch seafood export compliance.
• SGS: Largest global inspection, verification, and testing company. Provides seafood testing and supply-chain certification services overlapping with Catch Certificate's regulatory compliance mandate, but across a much broader portfolio.
• Control Union: Global certification and inspection company with strong roots in agriculture and fisheries. Comparable as a third-party certification provider serving seafood exporters with regulatory and sustainability documentation, broader than Catch Certificate but overlapping in fisheries.

Direct peers

• GlobalG.A.P. Worldwide certification standard for agricultural and aquaculture production. Comparable as a global certification scheme operator whose products must be issued for seafood exports, addressing similar buyer-side documentation requirements as Catch Certificate.
• Friend of the Sea: International certification scheme for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture products. Directly comparable as a seafood certification body serving exporters with regulatory and sustainability documentation needs similar to Catch Certificate's IUU catch certificates.
• Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC): Operates certification standards for responsibly farmed seafood. Comparable to Catch Certificate as another seafood certification scheme operator serving international supply chains, though focused on aquaculture rather than wild-caught IUU prevention.
• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC): Global non-profit that runs the leading voluntary seafood certification program. Directly comparable to Catch Certificate as a fisheries-focused certification scheme administrator, though MSC focuses on sustainability standards rather than IUU regulatory catch certificates.

Emerging players

• ThisFish (Inc. Digital traceability platform serving the seafood industry with chain-of-custody and certification support. Comparable to Catch Certificate as a tech-enabled fisheries traceability tool, though focused more on commercial supply-chain transparency than statutory IUU catch certification.

Regional players

• Norges Sjømatråd (Norwegian Seafood Council): Norwegian state-funded body that promotes Norwegian seafood exports globally and acts as the gatekeeper for exporter approval on the Catch Certificate portal. Strong ecosystem overlap — both serve Norwegian seafood exporters — but the Council focuses on marketing rather than regulatory certification.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CatchCertificate
• Facebookfacebook.com/CatchCertificate

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Catch Certificate