Shipping seafood internationally means holding a perishable product at a controlled temperature for the whole journey and arriving with the right health and catch paperwork. Fresh (chilled) fish is usually kept close to 0 °C, typically packed with ice or gel packs and flown; frozen seafood is kept at -18 °C or colder, usually in a reefer container. Either one can be refused at the border, or lose its value, if the temperature drifts or a document is missing. This guide covers temperature targets, packing, air versus sea economics, the main compliance documents (health certificate, catch certificate, US Seafood Import Monitoring Program, FDA Prior Notice) and where shipments most often go wrong. For the broader food-import picture on the US side, see FDA Prior Notice and FSVP.
What temperature does seafood need to be shipped at?
There are two regimes, and the contract or buyer specification overrides any general figure here.
- Fresh (chilled): the Codex and FAO guidance for fish centres on keeping chilled product as close as possible to the temperature of melting ice, roughly 0 °C. Some buyers write the range into the purchase order as, for example, 0 to 2 °C or -1 to +2 °C; others tolerate up to about 4 °C. Do not assume the range, and ask the buyer which one applies.
- Frozen: the FAO summary of the Codex Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products describes -18 °C or colder as the storage and transport baseline, with the product fully frozen through to the core before loading. Some products, sashimi-grade tuna being the usual example, are traded at much colder temperatures by commercial practice, so follow the specification, not the baseline.
The figure that matters most is the one in the contract. In the US, the FDA's Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance (June 2022 edition, as listed on FDA's site in November 2026) is the reference for time and temperature controls in seafood HACCP plans, and the exact limits depend on the species and hazard. Read the relevant chapter for your product rather than relying on a single number.
One misconception worth correcting: "frozen" is not a rescue state. Product that thaws in transit and is refrozen at the destination is generally a quality and often a food-safety problem, and many buyers reject it. A frozen load should arrive frozen, not "firm enough".
How is fresh seafood packed for air freight?
Airlines carry fresh fish in expanded polystyrene (EPS) boxes with a leak-proof inner liner and a coolant. The usual choices are:
- Ice or ice packs. Cheap and effective at holding product near 0 °C, but meltwater must be contained: a leaking box can contaminate other cargo and is a common reason for an airline to refuse or re-pack a consignment. Ask your carrier whether loose wet ice is accepted at all.
- Gel packs. Cleaner than ice; they hold a set temperature for a limited time that depends on box, load and outside conditions.
- Dry ice. Used for frozen product, but dry ice is a regulated dangerous good (UN 1845) with its own marking and declaration rules; see shipping with dry ice. Dry ice is the wrong tool for chilled fish, because it can freeze or damage it.
IATA's Perishable Cargo Regulations (PCR) are the airline industry's reference for perishable packing and handling. IATA states that the latest edition took effect on 1 January 2026, and its public summary of the 2026 changes mentions a revision of packing requirements, including updated guidance on the use of EPS and leak-proof packaging. The PCR is a paid manual and its detailed seafood rules are not public, so treat your airline and your forwarder's acceptance rules as the practical authority. The perishable special handling code (commonly PER, with more specific temperature-band codes in use by some carriers) goes on the air waybill so the cargo is handled correctly; confirm which code your carrier wants. For how coolants differ in the air, see active versus passive cold chain packaging.
Air freight or reefer container for seafood?
The choice is mostly structural, not a rate comparison. Quotes vary widely by lane and season, so ask for current figures instead of trusting any rule of thumb.
| Factor | Air freight | Reefer container |
|---|---|---|
| Typical product | Fresh chilled fish, high-value species, small lots | Frozen fish, shrimp, fillets, large lots |
| Transit time | Hours to a couple of days, door to door | Weeks, port to port plus handling |
| Cost basis | Per chargeable kilogram, so packaging weight counts | Per container, so it pays when the box is full |
| Temperature control | Passive (ice, gel) or active ULD; exposed at airport handoffs | Active, set point controlled, needs power at every stop |
| Main risk | Waiting on the ramp or in a warehouse, offloading | Power loss, wrong set point, poor pre-cooling |
Fresh product with a short shelf life generally needs air, and the price per kilogram reflects it. Frozen product with a long shelf life usually moves by sea because the per-kilogram cost is far lower. If you go by sea, specify the set point and the pre-cooling instructions in writing: see reefer set points, ventilation and humidity and pre-cooling and loading a reefer. A reefer is built to hold the temperature of cargo that is already at temperature, not to bring warm cargo down to it, which is the most common cause of a rejected frozen load.
What about live lobster, crab and shellfish?
Live seafood is a different category with different rules. Live animals need oxygen, damp packing and temperatures that keep them alive but dormant, typically cool and not frozen, and the correct packing method depends on the species. IATA publishes a separate manual, the Live Animals Regulations, and its public summary of the 2026 perishables changes refers to live seafood packing, so check which manual your carrier applies to the species you are shipping. Many airlines accept live seafood only from experienced shippers on specific flights. If you are shipping live product, speak to the carrier before you pack, not after.
Which documents does seafood need?
Requirements depend on the destination, the species and how it was caught or farmed. The table shows the main documents; always confirm against the importing authority's current rules.
| Document | What it does | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Health certificate | Issued by the exporting country's competent authority, confirming the product meets the importer's food-safety rules | Required by most importing countries; format and wording are set by the importer |
| Catch certificate | Validated by the flag state, showing the fish was not caught illegally | EU (IUU Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008) for wild-caught imports |
| SIMP harvest and landing data | Traceability data reported by the US importer of record through ACE | US, for covered species |
| FDA Prior Notice | Advance notice that food is arriving | US, for food imports including seafood |
| Commercial invoice, packing list, air waybill or bill of lading | The usual shipment documents | All shipments |
EU: catch certificates and the CATCH system
Under the EU's IUU Regulation (Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008, in force from 1 January 2010), wild-caught fishery products may enter the EU only with a catch certificate validated by the flag state. The European Commission states that use of its CATCH IT system became mandatory for EU operators and authorities for fishery imports from 10 January 2026, with EU templates for catch certificates and related documents applying from the same date. Rules on weights in certificates and a guidance document on CATCH interoperability were published in 2026, so check the Commission's fisheries pages for the current requirements. Health controls on animal products at EU border posts are separate from the IUU check, so a shipment needs to satisfy both.
US: SIMP and the seafood HACCP rule
The US Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP, 50 CFR 300.324) requires the importer of record, directly or through an entry filer, to report harvest and landing information through ACE for covered species. NOAA lists 13 species groups, including Atlantic cod, Pacific cod, blue crab, red king crab, mahi mahi, grouper, red snapper, sea cucumber, sharks, swordfish, tunas, abalone and shrimp. Reported data includes the harvesting vessel or farm, species, product form, quantity, harvest and landing areas and dates, and the importer's International Fisheries Trade Permit (IFTP) number. The importer must also keep chain-of-custody records, which the rule says must be retained for two years from import. NOAA's page notes that SIMP is a traceability reporting scheme and the model catch certificate is a form for recording harvest events, so a US importer should check with their broker which data goes in with the entry.
Separately, FDA's seafood HACCP regulation (21 CFR Part 123) applies to fish and fishery products, and FDA's hazards guidance includes procedures for importers. FDA Prior Notice is required before the food arrives. If a US importer or broker is new to this, the FDA Prior Notice and FSVP guide covers the filing side.
Country of origin labelling
Some markets require origin on the label or at retail. In the US, USDA's mandatory country of origin labelling for fish and shellfish (7 CFR Part 60) requires retailers to give customers the country of origin and the production method (wild or farm-raised), which means suppliers must pass that information down the chain. For frozen and fresh cartons, put the origin and method on the case label and on the commercial invoice, and check labelling rules in the destination market before printing cartons.
Where do seafood shipments go wrong?
- Temperature excursions on the ramp or in the warehouse. Air freight is fast, but chilled boxes can sit for hours before loading or after landing. Ask the forwarder for a handling plan and cold storage at both ends.
- Offloading or a missed connection. A bumped booking turns a one-day journey into a three-day one, and fresh fish may not survive it. A direct flight, even at a higher rate, can be cheaper than a lost consignment.
- Leaking packaging. Meltwater and fish fluids can lead to refusal at acceptance.
- Warm product loaded into a reefer, or a wrong set point. The reefer unit cannot fix this later.
- Missing or mismatched documents. Species names, quantities or establishment numbers that differ between the health certificate, invoice and catch data cause holds. Catching these before departure is far cheaper than catching them at the border.
- No temperature evidence. Without a logger, you cannot show where the chain broke. See cold chain data loggers and temperature excursions.
Is seafood in transit covered by cargo insurance?
Not automatically. Perishable cargo policies often exclude loss from temperature change, refrigeration failure or delay unless you buy specific cover, and they may require that the cold chain equipment was working and the packing was adequate. Read the wording before you ship, and see what cargo insurance does not cover. For a framework on what to put in the booking instructions, temperature-controlled freight: what to specify is a practical checklist.
What to do next
- Write down the product, form (live, fresh, frozen), required temperature range and shelf-life window, and confirm them with the buyer.
- Check the destination's document requirements with the importer or the competent authority, including the health certificate format and any catch certificate or traceability data.
- Choose air or reefer based on shelf life and volume, and get the packing, set point and handling plan confirmed in writing by your forwarder.
- Put a data logger in each box or container, arrange cargo insurance that names temperature risk, and keep a document set ready before the cargo leaves.
CargoLinked lists more than 29,300 logistics companies, searchable by country and service in the CargoLinked directory, so you can find forwarders that handle perishables on your lane. The public requests board lists freight that shippers have posted for forwarders to quote on directly.
This article is general information, not legal, customs or food-safety advice. Rules for seafood change and differ by country and species; confirm requirements with the relevant competent authority, such as NOAA Fisheries, the FDA, the European Commission or your national fisheries authority, and with a licensed customs broker or forwarder before shipping. Information is as of November 2026.
