Act amending the Marine Protection Act of 1994 (RPPL No. 4-35)

RPPL NO. 4 - 3 5 ~, FOURTH OLBIIL ERA KELULAU ,r, ., •• ,111 ( • 0 ,:-,~"• "==-~~, f ... "'t' Te.iit:ti' Regular Sessian April/May 1995 HOUSE BILL NO. 4-107-'/, HD3, SD3:-,-all A BILL FOR AN ACT To arrend RPPL No. 4-18, regarding the taking of certain species of marine and tifrre'strial organisms, to clal'ify and strengthen the penal ties and enforcement. provisions, to require the Minister to promu.lgate regulat i ons concerning c:ul t ui·ed species, and for otl,ei ourooses. OFFERED BY DELEGATE(S) . Augustine ~'12sebe luu ET Al. · DATE INTRODUCED: Julv 12. 1994 ;HOUSE ACTION FIRST READING: July 12, 1994 REFERRED TO: Ma:rine & Fisheries ST ANDING COI.WfTTEE REPORT NO: 114 DA TE AOOPTE O: Augus t 23, 1994 SECOND READING: Septemb€r 24, 1994 LEGAL FORM!>. T: Proper· REVIEW: Sept~r 25, 1994 TKIRD READING: SeptemYlr.25, l'il94. Final Action May 3, 1995 SENATE ACTION FIRST RSA DING: July 21, 1994 REFERRED TO: Resources a:,d Dcveloµrent STANDING COlvJ..IITTEE REPORT NO: 4-192 DATE t..OOPTI:D: April S, 1995 SECOND REJ..OtN.G: April 3' 1995 LEGAL FORMAT: Proper REVIEW; April 11, 1995 TKIRD READING: Apri 1 11, 1995 Final Action: May 3, 1995 CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ACTiON DATE: May 3, 1995 I COMMITTEE REPORT: 25 DATEPASSSD: fvlay 3, 1995 rlA I t ~~-~ ,r;t~/2. fjJ) ' I David Ng:i rmf:- f'e I i-e i anc, 012.~rr,/tt CLERK lsistant Clc:\Je S€ru!te Hou.se of Delegates 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 25 :;: C ·1 Ii FOURTH OLBIIL ERA KELULAU !i ii Seventh Regular Ses~ion, July 1994 RPPL NO. (Intro. 4-35 as HB No. 4-107-7 HD3, S03, CDl) AN ACT To amend RPPL No. 4-tS, regarding the taking of certain species of marine and terr es trial organisms, to clarity and strengthen U1e penalties and enforcement provisions, to require the Minister to promulgate regulations concerning ,cultured species, and for other purposes . . I THE PEOPLE OF PhLAU REPRESENTED IN Tr\E OLBIIL ERA KELULAU DO ENJ\CT I AS FOLLOWS: I- Section 1. Amendments. ii :i !1 Ii I' :1 Ii ii '\ I. ll 1; !i ;i i j· 1! :I I! ii !! I! (a) Section 3 of RPPL No. 4-18 is hereby amended to add the following; " ( 'Export' means (a) an actual or attempted shipment, transport, or transfer of fish out of Republic of Palau; or (b) a transfer of fish person within the Republic of Palau with the knowledge or intent that the fish will be shipped, transpo::-::ec or transferred out of the Republic of Palau." (b) Sec~ion 4, subsection 6 of RPPL No. ~-18 is hereby amended as follows; (6) Except as authorized by regulation o:- pe:-mi;: issued by the Kinister, fish 'while using any :cr;;i o~ underwater breathing apparatus other than a sno.::-~el. (c) Section ~ of R??:... l~o . ..;-13 is hereby CDenCE:ci :. 0 c::=c the following provision after subsection (15) " ( 16) make any entry or statement in any w::-i:~ns completed or subrni;:ted in connect1·on ••1•t.h tn· e o' ~ - e>:,.:o.::-:: (d) Section 9 of RPPL No. 4-18 is he.::-eby c.r.,endec: 2s follows: "Section 9. :Penalties. (a) C~i~inal Penalties: ,, I, ,, I' 11 ,1 1[ ji II 1 I: 2 \i 3 t! 4 I; 5 1: 6 1: 1: ,, 7 !i, 8 ll 1! 9 I' \\ 10 t! ji 11 •I Ii 12 ii 13 I, ,, I! 14 [; ,; ,. ;: 15 i· i: 16 !I 17 18 :, 19 20 21 ., ' 22 ,, 23 !) ,, 24 ji 25 !: 26 il 27 28 29 30 RPPL NO. 4-35 (Intro. as HB No. 4-107-7 HDJ, SD3, CDl 12-15 of Section 4 herein shall, upon conviction, be penalized as follows: upon the first conviction, be fined not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00); upon the second conviction, be fined not less than five hundred dollars ($500.00) and sentenced to serve up to thirty (30) days in jail; upon the third conviction, be fined not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) and sentenced to serve up to six (6) months in jail; c.ny conviction after a third conviction, be fined not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) and sentenced to serve up to one year ~n jail. (2) Anyone who violates subsection 6 of Section, shall, upon conviction, be fined not less than fiv,:, hundred ($500.00) dollars or imprisoned for not more than one (1) year, or both. (3) Anyone who violates subsection 11 of Section~ shall, upon conviction, be fined not less thc.n three hundred dollars (SJ00.00) or imprisoned for a periot o: not more than two (2) years, or violation. both, for each (4) Anyone who violaces subsection 16 of Section 4 shall, upon convict.ion, be fined not less t.ha:-i fou: hundred dollars ($400 00) or imprisoned fo::- a perio= o: not less than six ( 6) months and not more than t·"•o ( 2) years, or bcth 1 for each violc~ion. !b) Civil Penalties: (1) Civil penalties are sepa::-a-ce from cr.: ~inc: punish-ment and may be filed independent of er in addition to such criminal charges and sentences, (2) Any pe::-son who is !ound by the supreme court i~ l 2 3 4 5 6 7 B 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 I· ii 1I I' I I I p I ,I ll 11 11 ii Ii II \i 1! Ii Ii !I :> if i! ii it ii RPPL NO, 4-3S (Intro. as HB No. 4-107-7 HDJ S03 CDl a civil proceeding to have col1\J1\itted an act prohibited by this Act, his employer, p;,:-incipal, superior, or supervisor if the violation was committed as part o: a col1\J1\ercial operation or enterprise, and any person 1-'hO aids or abets in such violation, shall be liable to the affected state and national government for a civil penalty which shall not exceed two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) for each violation. (J) In determining the amount of such penalty, the Supreme Court shall take into account the nature, circumstances, extent, and gravity of the prohibited aces col1\J1\itted and, with respect to the violators, the degree of culpability, any history of prior offenses, and such other matters as justice may resuire. (4) The Attorney General is authorized to initiate all civil proceedings under this section and to recover the amount assessed as a civil penalty." (e) Section 4, subsections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, s, 9 and ~c of RPPL No. 4-1B, are hereby arnended to read as follows: 11 (1) fish for, se2..l, or ;)uy any of (2) fish for, sell, or buy any of the fc~lo·,:.cr,s species: the following species: (a) Aciul:. pcrroi:: fish (q fish fo:: I sell, or buy rab::iit:fish ( 5) fish for 1 se~2., or bl!)' the follo\.:ing species. (7) e>:port Dlc.ci: tcec.:::.'isn (Ho:i.o::nuria :-ic::,:~:c (bakelungal)), white teatfish . ,, ,, 1 ;I \' 2 :i ii J \] :i Ii 5 1; Ii .I 6 " ,' 7 II ~: " 8 :i 11 L: 9 i' ii 10 n 11 ii 12 ,1 ,: 1: 13 Ii 1: ,, 14 ' " 15 16 ;; 17 18 i1 19 ii ;, 20 21 ii 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 i !; 1: 29 l: 30 !, ;, RPPL NO. 4-35 (Intro. as HB No. 4-107-7 HDJ, SDJ, CDl (6) commencing one year after the effective date of this Act, export sea cucumbers (Actinopyga miliaris (cheremrum) except cultured species thereof; (9) take, buy or sell any coconut crab (Birgus latrol) smaller (10) take, buy or sell any mangrove crab (Scylla serrata) smaller than . (f) Section 4, subsection 11, of RPPL No. 4-18 is hereby amended to read as follows: II ( 11) export clam (Tridacna gigas (OU:ang)); squarnosa (Ribkungel); T. derasa (Kism); T. maximc. (Helibes) ; T. crocea (Oruer); Hippopus porcellanus (Duadeb); and Hippopus hippopus thereof, except cultured species; (Duadeb), or part (g) Section 7 of RPPL No 4-lS is hereby amended to rea2 as follows: 11 Section 7. L<?.bel. ino and Cul i::t.:red Regulations. (a) Within si): (6) months of the enactment of this Act, the Minister shall promulgate regul2.i:ions instituting a labeling and reporting system by which all exporters of fish report the weight of fish by species exported. (b) Within si~ (6) months of the enactment o~ this Act, the Minister shell p!:"onulga~e regula~ions sct.':.J.iiS out procedures to ce~~i!y s;,ecies as cu.l t.ured. 11 (h) The following scientific names in section ,, subsections 1, 3, 7, 9, and 11, o!' R?PL No. <-18 are here:iy amended to read as follo~s: (1) "?. leavis" should 1·ead "P. laevis". 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 l: 11 ii I! ll i RPPL NO. -4 - 3 S (Intro. as HB No. 4-107-7 HD3, SD3, CDl 1 ( 3) "Cheilunus undulatus" should read "Cheilinus undulatus". (7) "Cheilunus undulatus" should read "Cheilinus undulatus". (9) "Birgus latrol" should read "Birgus latro". (11) "Tridacnae gigas" should read "Tridacna gigas". Section 2. Effective date. This Act shall take effect upon its approval by the President, or upon its becoming law withou~ such approval, except as otherwise provided by law. PASSED: May 3 1 1995 Approved this ;::? R~i-~o J:k{kam'ur" President, Republic of s