Amendment of the Fishing Operations Regulations of 1996

I fldgi ( ^I& fPoh - YS% ,xld m%cd;dka;s%l iudcjd§ ckrcfha w;s úfYI .eiÜ m;%h - 2019'03'18 PART I : SEC. (I) - GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA - 18.03.2019 1A w;s úfYI wxl 2115$8 - 2019 ud¾;= ui 18 jeks i÷od - 2019'03'18 No. 2115/8 - MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2019 EXTRAORDINARY The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Published by Authority) PART I : SECTION (I) — GENERAL Government Notifications L.D.B 1/2012(III) THE FISHERIES AND AQUATIC RESOURCES ACT, No. 2 OF 1996 REGULATIONS made by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs, Livestock Development, Irrigation and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development under Section 61 read with Sections 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act, No. 2 of 1996. P. HARRISON, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs, Livestock Development, Irrigation and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development. Colombo, 14th March, 2019. Regulations The Fishing Operations Regulations of 1996, published in Gazette Extraordinary No. 948/25 of November 07, 1996 are hereby amended as follows : (1) by the insertion immediately before regulation 2 of that regulation, of the following word and figure : “ PART I” (2) by the insertion immediately after regulation 8 of that regulation of the following regulations : Y%S ,xld m%cd;dka;%sl iudcjd§ ckrcfha .eiÜ m;%h This Gazette Extraordinary can be downloaded from www.documents.gov.lk 1A- PG 4436 — 2767 (2019/03) I fldgi ( ^I& fPoh - YS% ,xld m%cd;dka;s%l iudcjd§ ckrcfha w;s úfYI .eiÜ m;%h - 2019'03'18 PART I : SEC. (I) - GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA - 18.03.2019 2A “9. The holder of licence granted for fishing operations under these regulations shall take steps to ensure that (1) the Skipper of Master of the fishing boat keeps the licence for fishing operations within Sri Lanka Waters together with the registration certificate of the boat or a certified copy thereof on board at all times and produces such licence and the registration certificate of the boat upon the request of an authorized officer ; (2) no fishing is carried out in any part of the Sri Lanka Waters except under the authority of a license issued under these regulations ; (3) no generators are carried on board of any fishing boat belonging to the following categories : (a) traditional non-motorized boat (NTRB) ; (b) traditional motorized boat (MTRB) ; (c) beach seine boat (non-motorized) (NBSB) ; (d) FRP boat with outboard motor (OFRP) ; (e) day boats with inboard engine (IDAY) ; (4) the Skipper or Master of the fishing boat uses a battery with a voltage of not more than 12V for generating electricity to light bulbs used for boats with outboard motors ; (5) any person using artificial bulbs for the purpose of lighting of any fishing vessel uses a voltage not exceeding the maximum voltage mentioned below : Type of artificial bulbs No. of bulbs No. of maximum watt 1. Filamentous bulbs 2 60w 2. Fluorescent bulbs 2 60w 3. LED bulbs 2 10w 4. CFL bulbs 2 12w (6) no person uses artificial light to attract fish in Sri Lanka Waters : Provided however, special permission may be granted by the Director General to use artificial light in consultation with the National Aquatic Resources, Research and Development Agency for persons engaging in small scale fishing of rod and line fishing, scoop nets, hand lines and fish traps ; (7) no person uses surrounding nets for fishing operations within Sri Lanka Waters within the sea limit of seven (07) miles or six decimal naught eight (6.08) nautical miles, namely within eleven decimal two six kilo meters (11.26 km) from the coast. 10. The Director General or any officer authorized by him in that behalf shall indicate in the licence if any GPS devices and Echo sounders are carried on board of any fishing boat. PART II 11. Any person engages in diving fishing operations within Sri Lanka Waters shall carry out such fishing operation during the day time between 6.00 am to 6.00 pm. 12. The Director General shall issue a separate licence for each type of fish in respect of which diving fishing operations are carried out. I fldgi ( ^I& fPoh - YS% ,xld m%cd;dka;s%l iudcjd§ ckrcfha w;s úfYI .eiÜ m;%h - 2019'03'18 PART I : SEC. (I) - GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA - 18.03.2019 3A 13. Any such licence granted under these regulations shall be utilized only for catching the permitted type of fish. 14. Any person engages in catching chank and beach-de-mer by scuba diving in the Administrative Districts of Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Ampara, Batticaloa, Puttalam, Mannar, Jaffna, Mullativu and Kilinochchi shall carry out such fishing operation beyond four (4) nautical miles (7.4 km) from the coast : Provided however, if such fishing operation is carried out in the Administrative District of Trincomalee the sea limit shall be beyond two (2) Nautical miles (3.7 km) from the boat. 15. Any Skipper or Master engages in scuba diving fishing operations within Sri Lanka Waters shall taken on board of such boat only two divers with the Skipper who shall not be a scuba operation licensee. 16. Any Skipper or Master engage in scuba diving fishing operations within Sri Lanka Waters shall carry on board of such boat such number of cylinders not exceeding eight. 17. No scuba diving fishing operations licence holder shall use such licence to engage in purse seine fishing. 18. No scuba diving fishing operations licence holder to catch chank, beach de-mer, lobsters and ornamental fish shall carry on board of such boat any harpoon, pointed tools or spear gun. 19. The licence of any diving fishing operations licence holder who contravenes the above conditions shall be cancelled with immediate effect by the Director General on having proof of such contravention. PART III 20. The Director General shall determine the materials to be used for making stake net (Ja Kottu) and the position of constructing such stake net (Ja Kottu) within Sri Lanka Waters on the recommendation given as per GPS readings by the National Aquatic Resources, Research and Development Agency or any other research institute recognized by the Director-General. 21. Every stake net (Ja Kottu) licence holder shall take steps to maintain a signal light system on guide net to identify the location of the stake net (Ja Kottu) at night. 22. No stake net (Ja Kottu) licence holder shall construct a stake net (Ja Kottu) in the vicinity of coral reefs, in sea weed or sea grass area, habitats of other maine mammals or within the beach seine operation area or Madel Waraya. 23. The Director General shall determine the number of stake nets (Ja Kottu) to be constructed in any Administrative District on the recommendation of the National Aquatic Resources, Research and Development Agency or any other research institute recognized by the Director General. 24. The maximum length of the guide net fence to gather fish in stake net (Ja Kottu) and the mesh size of the net shall not exceed 75 meters and shall not be less than 1 1/4 inches respectively. 25. The distance between two stake nets (Ja Kottu) shall not be less than 300 meters. 26. If any stake net licence holder acts in contravention of the above regulations, the licence of such stake net licence holder shall be cancelled by the Director General on having proof such contravention.” 04 - 29 PRINTED AT THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT PRINTING, SRI LANKA.