Food Safety (Fishery Products and Live Shellfish) (Hygiene) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998

Part II Additional Hygiene Conditions Applicable to Article 1.2 Fishing Vessels

1.  Fishing vessels must be equipped with holds, tanks or containers for the storage of refrigerated or frozen fishery products at the temperature laid down by these Regulations. These holds shall be separated from the machinery space and the quarters reserved for the crew by partitions which are sufficiently impervious to prevent any contamination of the stored fishery products.

2.  The inside surface of the holds, tanks or containers shall be waterproof and easy to wash and disinfect. It shall consist of a smooth material or, failing that, smooth paint maintained in good condition, not being capable of transmitting to the fishery products substances harmful to human health.

3.  The holds shall be designed to ensure that melt water cannot remain in contact with the fishery products.

4.  Containers used for the storage of products must ensure their preservation under satisfactory conditions of hygiene and, in particular, allow drainage of melt water. When used they must be completely clean.

5.  The working decks, the equipment and the holds, tanks and containers shall be cleaned each time they are used. Potable water or clean seawater shall be used for this purpose. Disinfection, the removal of insects or rat extermination shall be carried out whenever necessary.

6.  Cleaning products, disinfectants, insecticides and all potentially toxic substances shall be stored in locked premises or cupboards. Their use must not present any risk of contamination of the fishery products.

7.  If fishery products are frozen on board, this operation must be carried out in accordance with the conditions laid down in paragraphs 1 and 3 of Section II of Chapter IV of Schedule 3. Where freezing in brine is used, the brine shall not be a source of contamination for the fish.

8.  Vessels equipped for chilling of fishery products in cooled seawater, either chilled by ice (CSW) or refrigerated by mechanical means (RSW), shall comply with the following requirements—

(a) tanks must be equipped with adequate seawater filling and drainage installations and must incorporate devices for achieving uniform temperature throughout the tanks;

(b) tanks must have a means of recording temperature connected to a temperature sensor positioned in the section of the tank where temperatures are highest;

(c) the operation of the tank or container system must secure a chilling rate which ensures the mix of fish and seawater reaches 3°C at the most 6 hours after loading and 0°C at the most after 16 hours;

(d) after each unloading, the tanks, circulation systems and containers must be completely emptied and thoroughly cleaned using potable water or clean seawater. They should only be filled with clean seawater;

(e) the date and the number of the tank must be clearly indicated on the temperature recordings which must be kept available for the control authorities.