Sea Fishing (Enforcement of Community Quota Measures) Order 1999 (S.I. No. 424 of 1999).

This Order makes provision for the enforcement of certain of the enforceable Community restrictions and other obligations relating to sea fishing set out in Council Regulation (EC) No. 48/1999 fixing for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, the total allowable catches for 1998 and certain conditions under which they may be fished. Article 3 of the Order creates offences in respect of breaches in respect of - (a) any British fishing boat wherever it may be; or (b) any other fishing boat which is within British fishery limits, of the provisions of the Council Regulation referred to in column 1 of the Schedule to the Order. Those breaches are briefly described in column 2 of the Schedule. Penalties, which may include the forfeiture of fish, nets and other fishing gear, are specified for such offences (art. 4). The statutory maximum penalty specified in the Schedule is currently £50,000. The Order also confers powers of enforcement on British sea-fishery officers in relation to fishing boats and on land and in relation to the seizure of fish and fishing gear (arts. 6, 7 and 8). Provision is made for the punishment of anyone found guilty of assaulting or obstructing an officer (art. 10).