Fisheries (Nassau Grouper Protection) Regulations, 2009 (S.I. No. 49 of 2009)

BELIZE: STATUTORY INSTRUMENT No. 49 of 2009 REGULATIONS made by the Minister responsible for Fisheries in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by section 13(1) of the Fisheries Act, Chapter 210 of the Substantive Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000-2003, and all other powers thereunto him enabling. (Gazetted 11th April, 2009.) 1. These Regulations may be cited as the FISHERIES (NASSAU GROUPER & SPECIES PROTECTION) REGULATIONS, 2009. 2. In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires ‘nassau grouper’ means the fish commonly known in Belize as grouper, the scientific name of which is Epinephelus striatus; ‘grazers’ means any fish of the scaridae family, including the genus scarus and spariisoma; any fish of the acanthuridae family ‘total length’ means the measurement of a fish from the most forward point of the head, with the mouth closed, to the farthest tip of the tail with the tail compressed or squeezed, while the fish is lying on its side;” ‘whole fish’ means any fish with the viscera completely removed. Short title. Interpretation No. 49] Fisheries 1 3. (1) No person shall take in the waters of Belize, or buy, sell or have in his possession, any nassau grouper between the 1st December and the 31st March inclusive in any year, except for the nassau grouper taken from the sites of Maugre Caye at Turneffe Islands and Northern Two Caye at Light house Reef, descriptions of which are provided in Schedule 1. (2) No person shall take in the waters of Belize, or buy, sell or have in his possession, any nassau grouper which is less than 20 inches in total length or greater than 30 inches in total length. (3) Every nassau grouper caught in the waters of Belize shall be landed whole. 4. (1) A person desirous of engaging in traditional fishing at Maugre Caye at Turneffe Islands or at Northern Two Caye at Lighthouse Reef, during the closed season shall apply to the Fisheries Administrator for a special licence to fish. (5) A licence issue pursuant to subregulation (1) shall be issued subject to catch data required to be sent to the Fisheries Administrator as stipulated on such license. 5. Every fish, other than the Nassau grouper and the grazers, caught in the waters of Belize landed as fillet fish shall have a skin patch of 2 inches by 1 inch. 6. No person shall take in the waters of Belize, or buy, sell or have in possession any grazers. 7. (1) A person who contravenes any of these Regulations is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, or to both fine and imprisonment. (2) A person found guilty of taking or possessing any undersized fish during the closed season, or taking any Restriction. Traditional fishing during closed season. Fish fillet to have skin patch. Schedule. Prohibition on parrot fish. Offence and penalty. 2 Fisheries [No. 49 prohibited fish, is liable, in addition to any other penalty that may be imposed, to a fine of thirty dollars in respect of each such fish. 8. The Fisheries (Nassau Grouper Protection) Regulations, 2003 (S.I. No. 162 of 2003) are repealed. 9. These regulations shall come into force on the 1st day of April, 2009. MADE by the Minister responsible for Fisheries this 1st day of April, 2009. Repeal of SL 162/2003. Commencement. No. 49] Fisheries 3 Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries P-ONTERO) Printed in Belize by the Government Printer 4 Fisheries [No. 49 SCHEDULE I [Reg. 3] ALL THAT PORTION of the Caribbean Sea, reefs and cayes and more fully described (using WGS 84 datum) for each site as follows: Maugre Caye, Turneffe Atoll: Commencing at a point 1 with scaled UTM coordinates 418 701 East 1 950 997 North; thence proceeding east for a distance of 1.99 miles to a point 2, having scaled UTM coordinates 421 890 East 1 950 997 North; thence proceeding south for a distance of 1.82 miles to a point 3, having scaled UTM coordinates 421 885 East 1 948 085 North; thence proceeding west for a distance of 1.09 miles to a point 4, having scaled UTM coordinates 420 145 East 1 948 085 North, thence proceeding on a bearing of 350° for a distance of 0.66 miles to a point 5, having scaled UTM coordinates 419 957 East 1 949 124 North; thence proceeding on a bearing of 278° for a distance of 0.79 miles, to a point 6, having scaled UTM coordinates 418 705 East 1 949 291 North; thence proceeding north for a distance of 1.07 miles to the point of origin. Northern Two Cayes, Lighthouse Reef: Commencing at a point 1, having scaled UTM coordinates 448 895 East 1 933 422 North; thence proceeding east for a distance of 1.30 miles to a point 2, having scaled UTM coordinates 450 968 East 1 933 422 North; thence proceeding south for a distance of 1.63 miles to a point 3, having scaled UTM coordinates 450 968 East 1 930 819; thence proceeding on a bearing of 312° for a distance of 1.08 miles to a point 4, having scaled UTM coordinates 449 673 East 1 931 965 North; thence proceeding on a bearing of 271° for a distance of 0.49 miles to a point 5, having scaled UTM coordinates 448 896 East 1 931 978 North; thence proceeding north for a distance of 0.90 miles to the point of origin.