Fisheries (Vessel Day Scheme) Regulations 2012 (L.N. 63 of 2012)

Citation and Commencment Interpretation [Legal Notice No. 63] FISHERIES ACT 1998 (NO.6 OF 1998) FISHERIES (VESSEL DAY SCHEME) REGULATIOINS 2012 IN exercise of the powers conferred upon me by section 59 of the Fisheries Act 1998, I make these following Regulations: I. These Regulations may be cited as the Fisheries (Vessel Day Scheme) Regulations 2012. 2. (I) In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention requires: "Act means the Fisheries Act 1998; 177 "Director"means the Director of Fisheries appointed pursuant to section 36 of the Act; "Exclusive Economic Zone!! means the zone defined in the Delimitation of Marine Waters Act (Cap. 95; "fishing licence" means a licence issued under section 16 of the Act; "Palau Arrangement" means the Arrangement dated 2nd October 1992 and amended 11 th September 2010 established to limit the number of purse seine vessels operating in the PNA waters; "PNA" means the Parties to the Nauru Agreement; "Vessel Day Scheme" "VDS" means the Vessel Day Scheme as agreed upon by the Parties to the Palau Arrangement; (2) All words and phrases in these Regulations shall have the same meaning as is given to them under the Fisheries Act 1998 unless a contrary intention appears. 3. Vessel Day Scheme shall apply to Purse Seine Fishing in the Solomon Islands Exclusive Economic Zone. 4. No Purse Seine vessel shall be issued a fishing license by the Vessel Day Scheme Director to fish within the Solomon Islands Exclusive Economic Zone, unless there is in place an Agreement between the Solomon Islands Government and: (a) States on a bilateral or regional basis providing for the allocation of fishing rights in the waters of those States to Solomon Islands fishing vessels; or (b) any State and with associations representing foreign fishing vessel owners or charterers, on a bilateral or regional basis providing for the allocation of fishing rights in Solomon Islands waters to vessels from those States or associations; or (c) 178 any locally registered or locally based chartered foreign fishing vessels or locally-based foreign fishing vessels. specifying the following: (i) The number of fishing days allocated pursuant to the Vessel Day Scheme; and (ii) The fee to be paid for each day. 5. A fishing day under the VDS, shall be apportioned based on vessel length as follows: (a) every fishing day by a Purse Seine vessel with a length overall of less than 50 metres shall equate to a deduction of one half of a fishing day; (b) every fishing day by a Purse Seine vessel with a length overall of between 50 metres aud 80 metres shall equate to a deduction of one fishing day; and (c) every fishing day by a Purse Seine vessel with a length overall in excess of 80 metres shall equate to a deduction of one and one half fishing days. 6. Regulation 4 shall not apply to Vessels licenced pursuant the FSM Arrangement and Fisheries (U.S.A) (Treaty) (Cap.39). MADE AT HONIARA this day of July, 2012. HON. ALFRED GIDRO Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources Honiara, Solomon Islands Printed under the authority ofthe Solomon Islands Government Printed by Public Service Commission.