Shipping Fish and Seafood with Dry Ice

Why Ship Fish and Seafood by Air Freight?

Freshness in fish is measured in hours, not days. A salmon caught this morning in a Norwegian fjord can be on the menu tomorrow night at a restaurant in Tokyo or Dubai, if the cold chain is maintained properly. Sea freight takes weeks and requires freezing; air freight preserves the choice between fresh and frozen, and that difference often determines the price per kilo.

When speed makes the difference

• Fresh salmon and white fish for the sushi and fine-dining market, where same-day delivery is the standard
• Live lobster, oysters, and langoustines that require oxygen and stable low temperatures until they reach the plate
• Frozen shrimp and tuna loins in large volumes for retail and foodservice
• Caviar and other premium delicacies where the value easily justifies air freight costs

For each of these flows: market value depends on quality at arrival, and that quality depends entirely on an unbroken cold chain.

Fish and seafood are the textbook example of perishable air freight. Fresh fish has a shelf life measured in days, while frozen fish must remain continuously frozen. With dry ice (-78.5°C), we keep your shipment frozen from pickup to delivery, making up for the time that sea freight simply can’t provide.

Cold Chain for Fish and Seafood

Fish require three types of transport conditions, and choosing the wrong one will ruin your shipment. Fresh fish is transported chilled with ice or gel packs between 0°C and 4°C, just above freezing. Frozen fish and seafood travel with dry ice at -18°C or colder, where we adjust the dosage based on flight time and transfer duration. Live shellfish are a separate category: they must not freeze and travel chilled with oxygen supply.

Because fish contains water and quickly forms condensation, we pay extra attention to leak-proof, ventilated packaging that lets dry ice gas escape without allowing meltwater to reach other shipments. During transfers at Schiphol, we maintain the cold chain until the aircraft departs.

Customs and NVWA Regulations for Fish

Fish is one of the most heavily regulated import categories. Shipments from third countries must go through a designated Border Inspection Post (BIP) at Schiphol where the NVWA conducts a veterinary inspection. Nearly every shipment needs a health certificate from the competent authority in the country of origin, plus pre-notification in the EU TRACES-NT system. Without these documents, the shipment won’t clear customs.

There are also species-specific rules: caviar and sturgeon fall under CITES, some fish species have catch quotas or IUU statements (against illegal fishing). Our AEO-F status speeds customs clearance, but the NVWA veterinary inspection is independent and unavoidable. We ensure all certificates are correct before arrival, so the inspection does not get held up by paperwork.

• Norway & Iceland (salmon, cod) → Schiphol → worldwide
• Asia (tuna, shrimp) → Schiphol for the European market
• Export of Dutch and North Sea fish → US, Asia, Middle East