Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2021)

PART 5
GENERAL

39.   Regulations

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   (1)   The Minister may make regulations generally for the management and development of fisheries in the fishery waters.

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   (2)   In particular, without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the Minister may make regulations for all or any of the following purposes—

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      (a)     providing for the licensing, regulation and management of any particular fishery;

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      (b)     prescribing fisheries management and conservation measures including prescribed mesh sizes, gear standards, minimum species sizes, closed seasons, closed areas, prohibited methods of fishing or fishing gear and schemes for limiting entry into all or any specified fisheries;

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      (c)     prescribing the constitution, functions and duties of the Fisheries Advisory Committee appointed under section 5;

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      (d)     regulating the catching and utilization of fish taken incidentally when fishing for a species for which a licence has been issued;

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      (e)     providing for the registration and licensing of fishermen, fishing gear and other fishing appliances;

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      (f)     organizing and regulating sport fishing in the fishery waters;

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      (g)     regulating the use of scuba gear and hookah gear;

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      (h)     regulating or prohibiting the use of spear guns or other similar device;

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      (i)     regulating the landing, marketing and distribution of fish;

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      (j)     regulating the transiting of foreign fishing vessels through the fishery waters, including the manner in which fishing gear is to be stowed;

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      (k)     making provision for rewards to be paid to any person providing information on the operations of foreign fishing vessels leading to a conviction or compounding of offence under this Act;

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      (l)     prescribing the form of foreign fishing licences which may take the form of a written licence or a telexed or cabled authorisation;

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      (m)     providing for the implementation of any agreement or arrangement entered into under section 6;

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      (n)     regulating or prohibiting the entry into any fishing priority area, established under section 20, of any class of vessel and prescribing any activities which may not be undertaken in that area;

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      (o)     providing for the licensing and control of fish aggregating devices and for rights to fish aggregated by such devices;

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      (p)     regulating—

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         (i)     the management and protection of marine reserves and fishing priority areas,

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         (ii)     the taking of coral and shells,

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         (iii)     the setting of fishing fences,

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         (iv)     the taking of aquarium fish, and

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         (v)     aquaculture development;

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      (q)     prescribing measures for the protection of turtles, lobsters and conches;Editor's note: Gazette notice 1067/1995 declares a moratorium on the harvesting of turtles in Saint Lucia with effect from 1 March 1996.

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      (r)     to provide for the control or prohibition of the import and export of fish;

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      (s)     prescribing standards and other measures for the safety of local fishing vessels and fishermen; and

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      (t)     prescribing any other matter which is required or authorised to be prescribed.

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   (3)   The Minister may, by regulation, provide that the breach of any regulation made under this Act constitutes an offence and may provide for penalties on summary conviction of a fine not exceeding $5,000.