Fisheries (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 128 of 2021)

Fisheries Resources BELIZE: FISHERIES (AMENDMENT) (NO.2) REGULATIONS, 2021 ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS 1. Citation. 2. Amendment of regulation 3. 3. Amendment of regulation 8. 4. Amendment of regulation 8:01. 5. Amendment of regulation 8:03. 6. Amendment of regulation 26:02. 7. Amendment of regulation 26:05. 8. Insertion of regulation 27:02. 9. Amendment of Third Schedule. 10. Insertion of Eight Schedule. 11. Commencement. No. 128] Fisheries Resources BELIZE: STATUTORY INSTRUMENT No. 128 of 2021 REGULATIONS made by the Minister responsible for fisheries in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by section 87 of the Fisheries Resources Act, Act No. 7 of 2020, and ali other powers thereunto him enabling. (Gazetted 23rd October, 2021). 1. These Regulations may be cited as the Citation. FISHERIES (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 2021, and shall be read and construed as one with the Fisheries Sup. Leg. Regulations, which, as amended, are hereinafter referred to Ean. Vol. Iv as the principal Regulations. CAP. 174 p.7 S.1. 68/1990 139/1990 168/1991 169/1991 154/1992 55/1993 143/1993 34/1996 155/1996 27/1997 68/1997 76/1997 123/1997 13/1999 66/2002 56/2003 90/2003 103/2003 23/2005 135/2005 1/2010 10/2011 78/2011 52/2012 54/2012 88/2012 81/2019 57/2021 2 Fisheries Resources [No. 128 Amendment of regulation 3. Amendment of regulation 8. 2. The principal Regulations are amended in regulation 3 (a) in sub-regulation (1) (i) by deleting paragraph (a) and substituting the following “(a) ifthe caranace length, measured from the most anterior edge of the groove between the horns, directly above the eyes, along the mid-dorsal line to the rear edge of the carapace, is less than 3.25 inches or the tail weight is less than 4.5 ounces;” and (ii) inparagraph (b), by deleting the words “15th February and the 14th June” and substituting the words “1st March and the 30th of June”; (b) by inserting after the following new sub-regulations immediately after sub-regulation (1) “(1A) No person shall set any lobster trap in the fisheries waters of Belize during the period Ist March to 30th June. (1B) Notwithstanding sub-regulation (1A), a per son licensed to fish for crawfish may set a lobster trap in the fisheries waters of Belize from the 21st of June if the lobster trap is closed and unable to catch crawfish.”; and (c) in sub-regulation (2)(a), by deleting the words “less than 3 inches” and substituting the words “less than 3.25 inches”. 3. The principal Regulations are amended in regulation 8(2) by deleting the words “one hundred yards of the Barrier No. 128] Fisheries Resources Reef” and substituting the words “three hundred yards of the Barrier Reef or any patch reef”. 4. The principal Regulations are amended inregulation8:01- Amendment of regulation 8:01. (a) by inserting the following new sub-regulation immediately after sub-regulation (1) “(1A) No person authorized to take fish from fisheries waters using a trap shall take crawfish using a lobster trap unless the lobster trap (a) has an escape gap or apertures of not less than 2 1/8 inches along one side of the trap, other than the mouth, and which is located on the lower end of the trap; and (b) has a biodegradable panel.”; and (b) insub-regulation (3) by deleting the words “lobster trap or”. 5. The principal Regulations are amended in regulation 8:03 | Amendment . ‘ . . . . of regulation by inserting the following new sub-regulation immediately —.9, after sub-regulation (1) “(1A) An authorization issued under sub-regulation (1) shall specify the number of traps allowed (a) per fisher; (b) per fishing vessel; and (c) tobe deployed ina particular fishing area.”. 6. The principal Regulations are amended in regulation Amendment of regulation 26:02(1) by deleting the words “1st Augustto 31st October” 3¢.92. and substituting the words Ist May to 31st October”. 4 Fisheries Resources [No. 128 Amendment of regulation 26:05 Insertion of regulation 26:06A. 7. The principal Regulations are amended in regulation 26:05(1)(a) by deleting the word “August” and substituting the word “May”. 8. The principal Regulations are amended by inserting the following new regulation immediately after regulation 26:07 aa 26:08-(1) No person shall, within a radius within ‘a of 2 miles of Turneffe Atoll, Glover’s Reef a” ~~ Atoll or Lighthouse Reef Atoll (a) fish using hooks greater than 12/0; (b) fish using any unanchored or drifting longline; or (c) fish for sharks (all species in the Superorder Selachimor pha). (2) A person who lands a shark while fishing for any other fish allowed to be landed within a radius of 2 miles of Turneffe Atoll, Glover’s Reef Atoll or Lighthouse Reef Atoll, shall immediately release the shark in the same state it was landed. (3) For the purposes of this regulation S.1. 137 of “Glover’s Reef Atoll” means the area specified ann. in the Schedule of the Fisheries (Glovers Reef Marine Reserve) Order, 2001; Eight “Lighthouse Reef Atoll” means the area spec ecoeuu: ified in the Eight Schedule; and No. 128] Fisheries Resources “Turneffe Atoll” means the area specified in Schedule 1 of the Fisheries (Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve) Order, 2021; 9. The principal Regulations are amended in the Third Sched ule by repealing Form 3 and replacing it with the following “THIKD SCHEDULE [regulation 8:03] FORM 3 FORM OF AUTHORISATION - TRAPS S.I. 105 of 2012. Amendment of Third Schedule. ISSUED BY THE BELIZE FISHERIES DEPARTMENT Date of Authorisation: Name or Trap Owner: Fisherman Licence Number: Permanent Address: Fishing Area: Number of Traps per Fishing Area: Number of Traps per Fisher: Number of Traps per vessel: Type and Make of Traps: Signature of Officer Official Stamp”. 6 Fisheries Resources [No. 128 Insertion of Eight Schedule. Commencement. 10. The principal Regulations are amended by inserting the following new Schedule immediately after the Seventh Schedule “EIGHT SCHEDULE [regulation 26:08(3)] LIGHTHOUSE REEF ATOLL All that portion of the Caribbean Sea, consisting of 123, 409 hectares and being described as follows Commencing ata Point 1, and having scaled UTM coordinates 460 231 East 1 928 231 North; thence proceeding 26.9 km in a southerly direction to a Point 2, and having scaled UTM coordinates 451 097 East 1 902 899 North; thence proceeding 6.8 km to a Point 3, and having scaled UTM coordinates 451 081 East 1 896 089 North; thence proceeding 22.6 kmtoa Point 4, and having scaled UTM coordinates 431 658 East 1 884 578 North; thence proceeding 15.6 km in a northerly direction to a Point 5, and having scaled UTM coordinates 424 166 East 1 898 228 North; thence proceeding 39.7 km to a Point 6, and having scaled UTM coordinates 439 033 East 1 934 973 North; thence proceeding 14.3 km to a Point 7, and having scaled UTM coordinates 452 441 East 1 939 972 North; thence proceeding 14.1 km in a southerly direction to the Point of origin, and encompassing 1,234.09 square kilometers. ”. 11. Notwithstanding the entry into force of these Regulations, regulations 2, 3 and 4 shall come into force on the Ist day of March 2022. No. 128] Fisheries Resources MADE by the Minister responsible for fisheries this 12th day of October, 2021. (HON. ABNER PEREZ) Minfster of the Blue Economy & Civil Aviation (Minister responsible for fisheries) Printed in Belize by the Government Printer #1 Power Lane, Belmopan City