Regulations on Registration and Licensing of Fishing Vessels (No. 1/08/2012).

This Resolution regulates ship registration and licensing in Somaliland with the aim of increasing the income of the fishery sector and promoting its marine resources protection. As for the ship registration, it establishes that (i) any company, either national or foreign, engaged in fishing and related activities must be registered with the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources by applying through a completed the form accompanied by a copy of the business license and the documents proving the related fishing assets; (ii) the company must pay the registration fee; (iii) already registered companies must renew their registration at no cost from 5 August to 4 September otherwise they loose the registration and cannot operate until re-registering with the payment of the fee; (iv) the company registered shall submit to the Ministry a report on its production and activities on the 30th of each month. Regarding the fish licensing system, main provisions are (i) to fish in the Somaliland waters a registered company must obtain from the Ministry a fishing license, valid for one year; (ii) the license is granted under the fishing laws of Somaliland and it requires the following (a) entering the port of Berbera before embarking on fishing to verify its fishing gear; (b) entering the port of Berbera before exporting the fish to verify the quantity and quality of the catch; (c) being at least six nautical miles away from the coast; (d) submitting a report to the Ministry stating the quantity and type captured.