Sea Fisheries (Licensing) Regulations

SEA FISHERIES (LICENSING) REGULATIONS [S.1. 18 of 1992.] under section 13 [17th December, 1992] [Commencement.] 1. Pre-purchase assurance (1) A prospective owner of a fishing vessel intended for fishing or shrimping in Nige ria's territorial waters shall first obtain a written assurance that such a vessel would be granted a fishing or shrimping licence before arrangement for the purchase of the vessel is concluded. (2) A prospective owner of any type of trawler or fishing vessel shall obtain a letter of support for fishing operations in foreign waters. 2. Submission of feasibility studies, etc. Every application for a licence shall be in writing supported by (a) a feasibility report on the proposed fishing venture; (b) a copy of the article and memorandum of association of the company certified by the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission; (c) a copy of the certificate of registration of the company; and (d) a deletion certificate in case of an old vessel. 3. Registration of vessel (1) Every vessel intended for fishing or shrimping purposes shall first be registered with the Federal Ministry of Transport. (2) Every such registered vessel shall carry the Nigeria's national flag. 4. Survey against and tonnage Meas urement (1) Upon presentation by the applicant to the Federal Ministry of Transport of an authentic clean bill of sale or deletion certificate in respect of the vessel, the Federal Ministry of Transport shall cause to be carried out on the vessel, a survey and tonnage measurement. (2) The survey and tonnage report carried out pursuant to paragraph (1) of this sub paragraph shall be forwarded to the Ministry. 5. Licence (1) As from the commencement of these Regulations, no person shall navigate a fishing vessel for fishing purposes in Nigeria's territorial waters unless such a vessel is duly registered and licensed for such purpose. (2) A person, who navigates a fishing vessel for fishing or shrimping purposes in Ni geria's territorial waters without being so licensed, shall be guilty of an offence and liable to the penalties as prescribed under the Sea Fisheries Act. [Cap. S4.] (3) Where a person is convicted of an offence under this paragraph, the court by which he is convicted may, in addition to the punishment prescribed under the Act, order for the forfeiture of the fish or shrimp catch on board the fishing vessel. 6. Issuance of licence The Minister shall be responsible for the issuance in accordance with the provisions of these Regulations, of a licence authorising a vessel to carry on fishing or shrimping purposes in Nigeria's territorial waters. 7. Application for licence (1) An appl ication for a licence to (a) trawl for fish or shrimp in Nigeria's territorial waters or Nigeria's exclusive economic zone; or (b) navigate, for the purpose of discharging imported frozen fish in any Nigerian port; or (c) navigate Nigerian or foreign waters for the purpose of processing or discharg ing wet fish caught from such waters in any Nigerian port, shall be made in writing by the owner of the vessel to the licensing officer. (2) Every such application shall state in the case of (a) an individual, the name, nationality and address of the applicant; (b) a partnership, the name, nationality and address of each partner; (c) a company or other body corporate, the name, nationality and registered ad dress of the company in Nigeria and of its directors and be accompanied by a feasibility report on the proposed fishing venture together with a certified copy of the memorandum of association and articles of association or other docu ment relating to the constitution of the body corporate. (3) In addition to the requirements specified in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, every such application shall be accompanied by a concise state as to the tonnage of the fishing vessel, year of construction, and horsepower. 8. Dimension of fishing vessel No fishing vessel or shrimp trawler intended for fishing or trawling in Nigeria's ter ritorial waters shall exceed in the case of (a) a fishing vessel, 25.3 metres in dimension and 150 gross tonnage; and (b) a shrimp trawler, 23.2 metres in dimension and 130 gross tonnage. 9. Form of application for renewal Every application for the renewal of a licence shall be as in Forms A of the First schedule to these Regulations. [Form A. Schedule.] 10. Issue of licence Where an application for a fishing or shrimping licence is made to the licencing offi cer in accordance with paragraph 6 of these Regulations and is accompanied by the pre scribed report, particulars, documents, information and such fees as may be required to be paid for such licence, the Minister, shall if he is satisfied that (a) the fishing vessel is constructed and equipped to such a standard, and dimen sion as to be fit for the particular purpose intended; (b) the applicant is (i) capable of complying with such conditions as may be imposed of at tached to a licence; (ii) in all respects a suitable person to be granted a licence, issue to the applicant a licence on such conditions as he may impose or as may be at tached thereto. 11. Validity of a licence (1) Unless a licence is cancelled under paragraph 9 of these Regulations, a licence shall remain in force for such period as may be prescribed therein and may be renewed from time to time. (2) The Minister, may on an application for the renewal of a licence vary the condi tions attached to such licence including the fees chargeable for renewal of a licence or impose such additional conditions as he may deem appropriate. 12. Cancellation of licence (1) Where the Minister has reasonable grounds for believing that (a) a fishing vessel can no longer be used for the purpose for which it was 111 tended; or (b) the licencee has failed to comply with any condition stipulated under para graph 10 of these Regulations, he may, after giving the licencee the opportu nity of being heard or making representation by notice in writing, require him before the date specified in the notice, to remedy to the satisfaction of the Minister, the defects specified in the notice. 13. Penalty If any person, in furnishing any information for the purposes of these regulations, makes any false statement which he knows to be false in any material particular, that per son shall be guilty of an offence under the Act and be liable to the penalties prescribed therein. 14. Exemption The size restriction specified in these Regulations shall not apply to any existing Ni geria inshore fishing fleet during its life span. 15. Interpretation In these Regulations unless the context otherwise requires "Minister" means the Minister charged with responsibility for matters relating to fisheries and "Ministry" shall be construed accordingly. 16. Citation and revocation of S.1. 99 of 1971 (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Sea Fisheries (Licensing) Regulations. (2) The Sea Fisheries (Licensing) Regulations 1971 are hereby revoked. FIRST SCHEDULE [Paragraph 9.] Forms FORM A Application for issue or renewal of a licence I/We .................................................................................................................................................... . (Full name in block capitals) hereby apply for a licence under section 3 of the Sea Fisheries Act in respect of the motor fishing boat the particulars and descriptions of which are hereinafter stated. 2. (Renewals only) Particulars of the applicant's current licence are as follows No ................................................................................................................................................... . Date of issue ................................................................................................................................... . FORM B-continued 2. NAMES OF CREW MEMBERS, NATIONALITIES AND STATUS (1) NO OF CREW : NIGERIAN NON-NIGERIAN Skipper .................................................. .................. ......................................................... . Engineer ................................................ .................. ......................................................... . Deckhand .............................................. .................. ......................................................... . (2) NAMES OFCREW MEMBERS, NATIONALITIES AND STATUS (i) ..................................................................(vii) ............................................................. (ii) ................................................................ (viii) ............................................................ . (iii) ................................................................... (ix) ........................................................... . (iv) .................................................................... (x) ............................................................ . (v) ....................................................................(xi) ............................................................ . (vi) ..................................................................(xii) ............................................................ . 3. MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS OF VESSEL LENGTH OVERALL ................................................(m) ................................................. (ft .) LENGTH WATERING .............................................(m) ..................................................(tt.) BEAMS ........................................................................(m) .................................................. (ft.) DRAFT .........................................................................(m) ................................................. (ft .) GROSS TONNAGE ..................................................(m) ................................................. tons NET TONNAGE ........................................................(m) .................................................. tons FISH HOLD CAPACITy .........................................(m) .................................................. tons FUEL TANK CAPACITy ........................................(m) .................................................. tons FUEL CONSUMPTIONIVOY AGE .....................(m) .................................................. tons 4. ENGINE TYPE ...................................................................... .................................................................... . HORSE POWER .................................................. .................................................................... . 5. HAVIGATIONALAIDS: ................................... MODEL .................................................... . RADIO/TELEPHONE ........................................ .................................................................... . RADAR .................................................................. .................................................................... . ECHO SOUNDER ............................................... .................................................................... . 6.REFRIGERATION CAPACITY: CUBIC METRES/CUBIC FEET ................................. . 7. TYPES OF FISHING GEAR: (i) ........................................................................... (iii) ........................................................... . (ii) ........................................................................... (iv) ........................................................... . FORM C-continued 2. This licence is issued subject to the following conditions, that is ........................................................................................................................................................ SEA FISHERIES (FISHING) REGULATIONS [S.1. 19 of l992.] under section 14 [17th December, 1992] [Commencement.] 1. Res triction on fishing in certain areas No motor fishing boat (except canoes) shall fish within the first five nautical miles of the waters of the Nigeria continental shelf. 2. Trawling in inshore waters Travellers shall not use a cord-end with stretch mesh size of less than 76 mm (3 inches) when trawling for fish in the inshore waters or less than 44 mm (I % inches) when trawling for shrimps in areas approved for shrimp trawling. 3. Prohibition against use of fish trawler A motor fishing boat licensed to fish or trawl shall not be operated for catching shrimp. 4. Dumping of edible and mark etable sea product Fishing vessel licensed to fish in Nigeria's territorial waters, or its exclusive economic zone, shall not dump edible and marketable sea product at sea. 5. Landing of certain s hrimps Fish landed by shrimp trawler shall not be less than 75 per cent by weight of the total landings including the head on weight of shrimps landed. 6. Landing of catch at Nigerian port All fish caught by a motor fishing boat within Nigeria's territorial waters or its exclu sive economic zone shall be landed at a Nigerian port and no part of it may be exported or shipped away from Nigeria at sea. 7. Exportation of catch Any part of the catch intended for export shall be exported in the usual manner and subject to any foreign exchange regulations for the exportation of such commodities from Nigeria. 8. Dis play of national flag Every licensed motor fishing boat shall at all times within Nigeria's territorial waters or its exclusive economic zone hoist the national flag of 1.2 m x 2.4 m in dimension. 9. Inscription of name and registration numbers Every motor fishing boat shall have its name and registration number boldly inscribed on both sides of its bow and stern. 10. Prohibition on trawling or pair trawling, etc. No motor fishing boat (a) shall trawl or pair trawl within the first five nautical miles of the waters of the Nigeria continental shelf; or (b) of less than 20 gross tonnage shall trawl for shrimps within Nigerian inshore