Fisheries (Management) Regulations, 1998 (S.I. No. 102 of 1998)

S. I. 1998 No. 102 Fisheries Act Cap. 391 FISHERIES (MANAGEMENT) REGULATIONS, 1998 The Minister in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 46 of the Fisheries Act, makes the following regulations: 1. These regulations may be cited as the Fisheries (Management) Regulations, 1998. 2. In these regulations "closed area" means any area declared by the Minister by Notice published in the Official Gazette within which the fishing of designated species of fish or by designated fishing methods is prohibited; "closed season" means any period declared by the Minister, by Notice published in the Official Gazette, as the period during which fishing of designated species of fish or by designated fishing methods is prohibited; "ornamental fish" means live fish kept or suitable for keeping in aquaria; "SCUBA" means self-contained underwater breathing apparatus; "sea egg" means the white sea urchin Tripneustes ventricosus; "turtle" means all species of marine turtle. 3. The Minister shall designated by Notice published in the Official Gazette (a) fishing methods which are prohibited; and (b) species of fish which may not be harvested during the closed season and in the closed areas. 4. No person shall use a trammel or entangling net, or any net that is so hung and deployed as to catch fish primarily by entanglement. 5. (1) No person shall use for fishing (a) a seine net, the smallest mesh of which when stretched is less than 3.81 centimetres, in dimension: (b) a pelagic drift net of a size greater than 2.5 kilometres in length; or (c) a fish trap the mesh of which is less than 3.18 centimetres in dimension. (2) Every fish trap shall be fitted with an escape panel of a size and design approved by the Chief Fisheries Officer. (3) Every fish trap shall be marked for identification in a manner approved by the Chief Fisheries Officer. 6. (1) No person shall (a) have in his possession; (b) sell; (c) purchase; or (d) harm any lobster which is carrying eggs. (2) No person shall remove eggs from a lobster. 7. (1) No person shall (a) have in his possession; (b) sell or expose for sale; or (c) purchase any turtle or part thereof or turtle eggs. (2) No person shall fish for or ensnare any turtle. (3) No person shall disturb or endanger any turtle nest or remove from a nest any turtle eggs. 8. No person shall fish for any sea eggs (a) during the closed season; (b) with the assistance of SCUBA; or (c) in a closed area. 9. No person shall (a) have in his possession; (b) sell or expose for sale; (c) purchase any sea eggs during the closed season unless such sea eggs were obtained with the written permission of the Chief Fisheries Officer. 10. A person who owns and uses (a) a vessel; or (b) fishing gear to fish for sea eggs during the closed season or in a closed area is guilty of an offence. 11. No person shall wantonly injure or destroy any sea eggs. 12. No person shall land a yellowfin tuna or a bigeye tuna less than 3.2 kilogrammes live weight. 13. No person shall fish for any ornamental fish or aquatic flora except with the written permission of the Chief Fisheries Officer and in accordance with any condition which he may specify. 14. No person shall take, injure, destroy or fish for coral except with the written permission of the Chief Fisheries Officer and in accordance with any conditions which he may specify. 15. Any person who contravenes these regulations is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term of 2 years or to both. 16. These regulations shall not apply to any fisheries operations which are conducted solely for the purpose of fisheries research and (a) where permission has been granted in respect of such operations pursuant to section 26 of the Act; and (b) the operations are carried out in accordance with any condition stipulated in the permission. Made by the Minister this 27th day of July, 1998. RAWLE C. EASTMOND Minister responsible for Fisheries.