38.—(1) The undertaker must take all such measures as may be reasonably practicable to prevent any interruption of the free passage of fish in the fishery during the construction of any specified work.
(2) If by reason of—
(a)the construction of any specified work; or
(b)the failure of any such work,
damage to the fishery is caused, or the Agency has reason to expect that such damage may be caused, the Agency may serve notice on the undertaker requiring it to take such steps as may be reasonably practicable to make good the damage, or, as the case may be, to protect the fishery against such damage.
(3) Subject to paragraph 39, if within such time as may be reasonably practicable for that purpose after the receipt of written notice from the Agency of any damage or expected damage to a fishery, the undertaker fails to take such steps as are described in sub-paragraph (2), the Agency may take those steps and any expenditure reasonably incurred by the Agency in so doing is recoverable from the undertaker.
(4) Subject to paragraph 39, in any case where immediate action by the Agency is reasonably required in order to secure that the risk of damage to the fishery is avoided or reduced, the Agency may take such steps as are reasonable for the purpose, and may recover from the undertaker any reasonable expenditure incurred in so doing provided that notice specifying those steps is served on the undertaker as soon as reasonably practicable after the Agency has taken, or commenced to take, the steps specified in the notice.