The Sea Fishing (Licences and Notices) (Scotland) Regulations 2011

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make provision in accordance with section 4B of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967 (c.84) (“the 1967 Act”) for the manner in which a sea fishing licence under section 4 of that Act or a licence to receive trans-shipped fish under section 4A of that Act may be granted and in which a notice of variation, revocation or suspension of any such licence may be effected in accordance with section 4(9) or 4A(10), respectively, of the 1967 Act. The Regulations extend to Scotland and the Scottish zone and apply to Scottish fishing boats wherever they may be (regulation 1(3)).

Regulation 3(1) provides for the granting of a licence by the Scottish Ministers to the master, owner or charterer of a Scottish fishing boat by communicating it, by a method specified, to that person or to a person nominated by the master, owner or charterer to receive it (“a nominee”). Regulation 3(2) provides for the effecting of a notice by communicating it to a nominee or to the master, owner or charterer of the Scottish fishing boat. Regulation 3(3) to (5) provides for the effecting of notices of variation, suspension or revocation of all sea fishing licences or all sea fishing licences of a particular type granted by the Scottish Ministers by publishing a notice in a newspaper or on the Scottish Government website (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/Sea-Fisheries/17681/licencevariations).

Regulation 4 specifies the time at which a licence or notice communicated in accordance with regulation 3 will be treated as having been delivered or given, according to the method of communication adopted.

Regulation 5 specifies the time at which a licence or notice treated as delivered or given in accordance with regulation 4 will have effect, according to the method of communication adopted.

Regulation 6 makes provision for the time at which a licence or a notice will take effect where—

(a) more than one method of communicating it is employed; and

(b) the licence or notice states that it will take effect later than provided for under regulation 5.

Regulation 7 revokes the Sea Fishing (Licences and Notices) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2813) insofar as they extend to Scotland, and regulation 8 contains a transitional provision in consequence of that revocation.

A Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared and placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Copies may be obtained from Marine Scotland, Victoria Quay, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ.