Catch to Batch pilot project developed a traceability solution for mackerel and herring

Innovative Pilot Project Strengthens Traceability of Scottish Pelagic Fisheries

“Catch to Batch” links vessel, factory, and market data to boost transparency, sustainability, and seafood value

An innovative pilot initiative known as “Catch to Batch” has successfully developed a cutting-edge traceability system for Scottish-caught pelagic fish, marking a significant advance in transparency and data integration across the seafood supply chain.

The project addresses a longstanding challenge in global fisheries: the lack of end-to-end traceability, which can undermine market access, pricing, and buyer confidence when sustainability credentials cannot be clearly demonstrated. Catch to Batch delivers a practical solution for mackerel and herring, digitally linking data streams that were previously unconnected—from individual fishing hauls at sea through onshore processing and onward to wholesalers and retailers.

From catch to consumer: a connected data chain

At its core, Catch to Batch creates a continuous flow of verified information, tracking pelagic fish from the moment they are caught to processing and distribution. The pilot involved two Scottish pelagic vessels, Altaire and Artemis, working in collaboration with Northbay Pelagic processing plant in Peterhead, alongside Interfish Producer Organisation, Sainsbury’s, The Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST), the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association, Verifact, Shetland UHI, and Cefas.

Photo: SPFA

Onboard data is derived from the self-sampling of fish from every haul, already carried out under the Scottish Pelagic Industry Science Data Collection Programme, and is complemented by mandatory catch reporting required of all vessels. These data sets are then linked to factory processing information, which is already collected for quality assurance, and traced through a unique batch code generated for each landing.

New digital tools improve quality insight

A key innovation of the project is the development of an online data platform that allows vessels to enter and record haul-specific, biological, and tank-plan data. The tank plan quantifies how each haul is stored within the vessel’s refrigerated seawater (RSW) tanks, creating a detailed map of fish handling at sea.

Photo: SPFA

This information feeds into a new pre-landing report, sent by the vessel to the factory ahead of arrival, detailing haul composition, fish size distribution, and tank allocation. In return, processors provide a Catch Quality Report for each landing, linked directly back to the tank plan. This feedback loop enables skippers and crews to better understand how handling, storage, and fishing conditions influence final product quality.

Industry backing and market benefits

According to Dr. Steven Mackinson, Chief Scientific Officer of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association, the pilot has delivered tangible results:

“The outputs of this pilot project demonstrate that linking vessel and factory data is possible, resulting in benefits for scientific data collection, traceability, and understanding catch quality.”

Andrew Pillar of Interfish, one of the project partners, highlighted the commercial value of the system:

“The pilot project has reduced the burden of tracebacks and enhanced value through efficient data recording and handling. More importantly, it provides an outward demonstration of responsibility and sustainability, giving sellers a strong narrative to differentiate Scottish pelagic products and offer consumers confidence in the origin of their seafood.”

From the retail perspective, David Parker, Head of Fisheries and Aquaculture at Sainsbury’s, praised the initiative:

“We source globally, and this is one of the best traceability regimes I have seen in fisheries to date.”

Next steps: scaling up across Scotland

With the support of the Scottish Pelagic Processors’ Association, Producer Organisations, and key buyers of Scottish pelagic fish, the next phase of Catch to Batch will focus on scaling up the system. Plans are underway to extend the approach to all Scottish pelagic vessels and factories participating in the Scottish Pelagic Industry Science Data Collection Programme, positioning Scotland at the forefront of digital traceability and sustainable fisheries management.

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