Fisheries Protection Act, 1976.

Section 3 defines the territorial waters of the Cook Islands for the purposes of this Act: they shall comprise those areas of the sea having, as their inner limits, the baseline described in section 4 of this Act and, as their outer limits, a line measured seaward from that baseline, every point of which is distant 12 nautical miles from the nearest point of the baseline. A foreign fishing vessel shall not enter within the territorial waters of the Cook Islands, except for a purpose recognized by international law, or by any convention treaty or arrangement for the time being in force between the Cook Islands and any Foreign State, or because of stress of weather or other unavoidable circumstances. A foreign vessels shall not fish, attempt to fish or load any fish in territorial waters of the Cook Islands, leave the waters immediately as soon as the purpose for which it entered them has been fulfilled, stow its gear in accordance with prescribed rules, and shall obey such other regulations as may from time to time be issued by the Minister (sect. 5). Section 6 provides for the appointment of Fisheries Protection. Officers who shall have powers of enforcement assigned to them under section 7, also to prevent illegal fishing or landing of fish. Section 8 prescribes penalties for the obstruction of Fisheries Protection Officers. Section 10 concerns the recovery of fines imposed on the master or member of the crew of a foreign fishing vessel. Regulation making powers of the High Commissioner are set out in section 11. (11 sections)