Online fresh fish and seafood delivery is a growing ecommerce category — independent fishmongers, fish farms, and seafood traders sell direct to consumers nationwide. The category is strictly regulated for labelling (catch area, production method, species name) and requires sophisticated chilled logistics. Migrating to Shopify is viable with the right configuration.

Product categories

Fresh whole fish: Seabass, bream, salmon, trout, mackerel, cod, haddock. Day-catch where possible.
Fresh fish fillets: Skin-on and skinless. Weight, portion count.
Shellfish: Prawns, lobster, crab, langoustine, scallops, oysters. Live and cooked.
Smoked fish: Smoked salmon, smoked mackerel, smoked haddock, kippers.
Cured and preserved fish: Gravlax, rollmops, salt cod, anchovies.
Farmed fish and aquaculture: Salmon (Scottish, Norwegian), oysters, mussels. Certification.
Fish subscription boxes: Weekly seafood box — seasonal selection.

Mandatory labelling requirements

Fresh and frozen fish sold pre-packed online in the UK must comply with the UK Fish Labelling Regulations (Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013, retained in UK law):

Commercial name and scientific name: Both required — "Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)"
Production method: "Caught at sea" / "Caught in freshwater" / "Farmed"
Catch area: For wild-caught fish, FAO fishing area required — e.g. "FAO 27 — Northeast Atlantic" or more specific (e.g. "North Sea — ICES IVb")
Country of origin: For farmed fish — country of farming
Gear type: Required for the Defra-recommended "best practice" labelling — e.g. "Rod-and-line caught", "Trawled"
These requirements apply to all pre-packed fish sold online

product.metafields.fish.species_name = "Atlantic Salmon"
product.metafields.fish.scientific_name = "Salmo salar"
product.metafields.fish.production_method = "Farmed"          // Caught at sea / Caught in freshwater / Farmed
product.metafields.fish.catch_area = "FAO 27 — North Atlantic"
product.metafields.fish.country_of_origin = "Scotland"
product.metafields.fish.gear_type = "Pelagic trawl / Longline / Rod and line"
product.metafields.fish.defrosted = "false"                   // if previously frozen

Allergen declarations

Fish and shellfish each count as separate allergens under the 14-allergen system:

Fish: All finfish — salmon, cod, haddock, tuna, etc. — are the "fish" allergen. Must be declared even in fish products (cross-contamination from other species).
Crustaceans: Prawns, crab, lobster, langoustine, shrimp.
Molluscs: Squid, octopus, oysters, mussels, scallops, clams, abalone.
Cross-contamination: a fishmonger handling multiple species should note "May contain: other fish species, crustaceans, molluscs" on relevant products
Mixed seafood products: declare all species present

product.metafields.food.allergens = "Contains: Fish (Salmon). May contain: Other fish, Crustaceans."
product.metafields.fish.live = "false"
product.metafields.fish.shell_on = "true"
product.metafields.fish.previously_frozen = "false"
product.metafields.fish.weight_g = "500"                     // per portion

MSC and ASC sustainability certification

Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) are the leading sustainability certifications for wild-caught and farmed seafood respectively:

MSC (wild-caught): certified sustainable fisheries — blue MSC label. Licensed use from MSC required.
ASC (farmed): certified responsible aquaculture — teal ASC label. Licensed use from ASC required.
Note certification on product pages — increasingly important to consumers and a key differentiator
Non-certified fish: note fishing area and gear type — transparency signals good practice even without formal certification

product.metafields.fish.msc_certified = "true"
product.metafields.fish.asc_certified = "false"
product.metafields.fish.rspca_assured = "false"
product.metafields.fish.organic_certified = "false"

Live shellfish

Live shellfish (oysters, lobsters, crabs, live mussels) have specific requirements:

Live weight: note live weight vs edible meat yield (e.g. "lobster approx 500–600g live weight")
Overnight delivery required: live shellfish must arrive within 24–48 hours — next-day specialist courier only
Handling instructions: note on product page how to keep live shellfish before cooking
Classification area: live bivalves (oysters, mussels, clams) must be sourced from classified harvesting areas (EU/UK Class A or B) — Class B requires purification before sale

Post-migration checklist for seafood stores

Labelling: commercial name, scientific name, production method, catch area, and gear type on all fish products
Allergens: fish, crustaceans, and molluscs declared separately; cross-contamination noted
Sustainability: MSC/ASC certification noted; fishing area and method for non-certified products
Chilled delivery: specialist overnight courier for fresh fish; delivery date picker for customer convenience
Live shellfish: handling instructions and overnight delivery requirement noted
Subscription: weekly seafood box configured with recurring billing

Migrating an online seafood and fish store from WooCommerce to Shopify (2026)