Title, commencement and interpretation

1.-(1) This Order may be cited as the Mackerel (Specified Sea Areas) (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 1997 and shall come into force on 17th December 1997.

(2) In this Order-

"British fishing boat" means a fishing boat which is registered in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands or which, not being so registered, is British-owned;

"length", in relation to a boat, means the length calculated in accordance with the rules specified in Article 2(1) of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2930/86 defining characteristics for fishing vessels(2) as amended(3);

"sea area" means a statistical division or sub-area of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea(4) specified in the Schedule hereto.

Prohibition and Exception

2.-(1) Subject to paragraph (2) below, fishing-

(a)by any British fishing boat registered in the United Kingdom within any part of a sea area; or

(b)by any other British fishing boat within any part of a sea area which lies within British fishery limits(5)

for mackerel (Scomber scombrus) in sea areas ICES Statistical Sub-Areas VI, VII, XII and XIV and ICES Statistical Divisions Vb and VIIIa, b, d and e is prohibited during the period beginning with the date of coming into force of this Order and ending immediately before 1st January 1998.

(2) The prohibition in paragraph (1) above shall not apply to any boat whose length exceeds 10 metres, except in the case of any boat when used for the purpose of conveying persons wishing to fish for pleasure.

Powers of British sea-fishery officers in relation to fishing boats

3.-(1) For the purpose of the enforcement of this Order a British sea-fishery officer may exercise the powers conferred by paragraphs (2) to (4) below-

(a)anywhere in relation to any British fishing boat registered in the United Kingdom; and

(b)in any waters adjacent to the United Kingdom and within British fishery limits in relation to any other British fishing boat.

(2) He may go on board the boat, with or without persons assigned to assist him in his duties, and for that purpose may require the boat to stop and do anything else which will facilitate the boarding of the boat.

(3) He may require the attendance of the master and other persons on board the boat and may make any examination and inquiry which appears to him to be necessary for the purpose mentioned in paragraph (1) above and, in particular-

(a)may examine any fish on the boat and the equipment of the boat, including the fishing gear, and require persons on board the boat to do anything which appears to him to be necessary for facilitating the examination;

(b)may require any person on board the boat to produce any document relating to the boat, to its fishing operations or other operations ancillary thereto or to the persons on board which is in his custody or possession and may take copies of any such document;

(c)for the purpose of ascertaining whether the master, owner or charterer of the boat has committed an offence under section 5(1) or (6) of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967(6) as read with this Order, may search the boat for any such document and may require any person on board the boat to do anything which appears to him to be necessary for facilitating the search; and

(d)where the boat is one in relation to which he has reason to suspect that such an offence has been committed, may seize and detain any such document produced to him or found on board for the purpose of enabling the document to be used as evidence in proceedings for the offence;

but nothing in sub-paragraph (d) above shall permit any document required by law to be carried on board the boat to be seized and detained except while the boat is detained in a port.

(4) Where it appears to a British sea-fishery officer that a contravention of this Order has at any time taken place within British fishery limits he may-

(a)require the master of the boat in relation to which the contravention took place to take, or may himself take, the boat and its crew to the port which appears to him to be the nearest convenient port; and

(b)detain or require the master to detain the boat in the port;

and where such an officer detains or requires the detention of a boat he shall serve on the master notice in writing stating that the boat will be or is required to be detained until the notice is withdrawn by the service on the master of a further notice in writing signed by a British sea-fishery officer.

Article 1(2)

SCHEDULESea Areas in Respect of which Prohibition of Fishing Applies

ICES Statistical Division Vb (Faroes Grounds)

The waters bounded by a line beginning at a point in 63°00' north latitude, 4°00' west longitude; thence due west to 15°00'; west longitude; thence due south to 60°00' north latitude; thence due east to 5°00' west longitude; thence due north to 60°30' north latitude; thence due east to 4°00' west longitude; thence due north to the point of beginning.

ICES Statistical Sub-Area VI (Rockall and West of Scotland)

The waters bounded by a line beginning at a point on the north coast of Scotland in 4°00' west longitude; thence due north to 60°30' north latitude; thence due west to 5°00' west longitude; thence due south to 60°00' north latitude; thence due west to 18°00' west longitude; thence due south to 54°30' north latitude; thence due east to the coast of the Republic of Ireland; thence in a northerly and easterly direction along the coasts of the Republic of Ireland and of Northern Ireland to a point on the east coast of Northern Ireland in 55°00' north latitude; thence due east to the coast of Scotland; thence in a northerly direction along the west coast of Scotland to the point of beginning.

ICES Statistical Sub-Area VII (Irish Sea, West of Ireland and Porcupine Bank, South Coast of Ireland, Bristol Channel and English Channel)

The waters bounded by a line beginning at a point on the west coast of the Republic of Ireland in 54°30' north latitude; thence due west to 18°00' west longitude; thence due south to 48°00' north latitude; thence due east to the coast of France; thence in a northerly and north-easterly direction along the coast of France to a point in 51°00' north latitude; thence due west to the south-east coast of England; thence in a westerly and northerly direction long the coasts of England, Wales and Scotland to a point on the west coast of Scotland in 55°00' north latitude; thence due west to the coast of Northern Ireland; thence in a northerly and westerly direction along the coasts of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to the point of beginning.

ICES Statistical Division VIII a (South Brittany)

The waters bounded by a line running from a point on the coast of France at latitude 48°00' N due west to longitude 8°00' W; thence due south to latitude 47°30' N; thence due east to longitude 6°00' W; thence due south to latitude 47°00' N; thence due east to longitude 5°00' W; thence due south to latitude 46°00' N; thence due east to the west coast of the Ile d'Oléron; thence round the north of this island to a point on its east coast at latitude 46°00' N; thence due east to the coast of France; thence in a north-westerly direction along the coast of France to the point of departure.

ICES Statistical Division VIII b (South Gascony)

The waters bounded by a line running from a point on the west coast of France at latitude 46°00' N due west to the east coast of the Ile d'Oléron; thence round the north of the island to a point on its west coast at latitude 46°00' N; thence due west to longitude 4°00' W; thence due south to latitude 45°30' N; thence due east to longitude 3°00' W; thence due south to latitude 44°30' N; thence due east to longitude 2°00' W; thence due south to the coast of Spain; thence in an easterly and north-easterly direction along the coasts of Spain and France to the point of departure.

ICES Statistical Division VIII d (Central Gascony)

The waters bounded by a line running from a point at latitude 48°00' N and longitude 8°00' W due west to longitude 11°00' W; thence due south to latitude 44°30' N; thence due east to longitude 3°00' W; thence due north to latitude 45°30' N; thence due west to longitude 4°00' W; thence due north to latitude 46°00 N; thence due west to longitude 5°00' W; thence due north to latitude 47°00' N; thence due west to longitude 6°00' W; thence due north to latitude 47°30' N; thence due west to longitude 8°00' W; thence due north to the point of departure.

ICES Statistical Division VIII e (Western Gascony)

The waters bounded by a line running from a point at latitude 48°00' N and longitude 11°00' W due west to longitude 18°00' W; thence due south to latitude 43°00' N; thence due east to longitude 11°00' W; thence due north to the point of departure.

ICES Statistical Sub-Area XII (North of Azores)

The waters bounded by a line beginnning at a point in 62°00' north latitude and 15°00' west longitude; thence due west to 27°00' west longitude; thence due south to 59°00' north latitude; thence due west to 42°00' west longitude; thence due south to 48°00' north latitude; thence due east to 18°00' west longitude; thence due north to 60°00' north latitude; thence due east to 15°00' west longitude; thence due north to the point of beginning.

ICES Statistical Sub-Area XIV (East Greenland)

The waters bounded by a line from the geographic North Pole along the meridian of 40°00' west longitude to the north coast of Greenland; thence in an easterly and southerly direction along the coast of Greenland to a point in 44°00' west longitude; thence due south to 59°00' north latitude; thence due east to 27°00' west longitude; thence due north to 68°00' north latitude; thence due east to 11°00' west longitude; thence due north to the geographic North Pole.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order prohibits fishing for mackerel in sea areas ICES Statistical Sub-Areas VI, VII, XII and XIV and ICES Statistical Divisions Vb and VIIIa, b, d and e by any British fishing boat which does not exceed 10 metres in length or which is used wholly for the purposes of conveying persons wishing to fish for pleasure (article 2).

The prohibitions of fishing set out above shall apply-

(a)within any part of a sea area specified in the Schedule to the Order if the boat is registered in the United Kingdom, or

(b)within any part of such a sea area which lies within British fishery limits if the boat is registered in the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands or, not being registered, is British-owned,

during the period beginning with the date of coming into force of the Order and ending immediately before 1st January 1998 (article 2).

By virtue of section 5(6) of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967 (as amended by section 22(2) of the Fisheries Act 1981), where, in the course of any fishing operations conducted in any of the above-mentioned sea areas, fish caught in contravention of this Order are taken on board a boat to which this Order applies, those fish shall (subject to section 9 of that Act) be returned to the sea forthwith.

British sea-fishery officers are given certain enforcement powers for the purpose of the enforcement of the Order (article 3).