Fisheries Management Act 2024 (No. 9 of 2024).

The Act establishes a comprehensive legal framework to ensure the sustainable management, conservation, and use of the country’s fishery resources. The Act details the principles, management plans, and measures for the sustainable use of fisheries resources, such as establishing designated fisheries, allowable catches, and prohibiting harmful practices like using explosives and driftnets. It also includes guidelines for foreign fishing access, cooperation on high seas fishing, and adherence to international conservation standards. The Act further covers the registration of fishing vessels and the licensing of fishing activities, including the requirements, conditions, and processes for obtaining and maintaining licenses and authorizations. The provisions address illegal fishing, fishing beyond national waters, and the use of vessels under different jurisdictions.
Part 5 of the text focuses on ensuring food safety, legality, and trade in fish and fish products, including establishing a Competent Authority for audits and certification, appointing Fish Inspectors with specific powers, and setting regulations for the export, import, labeling, and certification of seafood to prevent fraud and ensure public health standards. The Act establishes measures to control marine pollution, prohibiting the discharge of oil, pollutants, garbage, or sewage into fisheries waters, requiring pollution prevention and response equipment on vessels, and mandating the reporting and record-keeping of any discharges.
The Act consists of 138 Articles divided into 12 Parts as follow: Preliminary (1); Fisheries management, conservation and development (2); Fisheries conservation and management measures (3); Registration of fishing vessels; licenses, permits and authorisations (4); Food safety, legality of fish and trade (5); Monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement (6); Measures to control marine pollution (7); Jurisdiction, procedure, penalties and liability (8); Evidence and presumptions (9); Administrative proceedings (10); Miscellaneous (11); Repeal, savings and transitional (12).