Sea Fisheries Regulation Act 1966

10 Appointment and powers of fishery officers

(1) Subject to any restrictions or conditions as to expenditure made by the council or councils by whom a local fisheries committee is appointed, the committee may appoint such fishery officers as they deem expedient for the purpose of enforcing the observance within their district of byelaws made by the committee, but nothing in this section shall exempt British sea-fishery officers from their statutory duty of enforcing the laws and regulations affecting vessels engaged in sea fishing.

(2) For the purpose of enforcing byelaws made by a local fisheries, committee any fishery officer appointed by the committee may within the limits of the district, or of any adjoining sea fisheries district of district under the jurisdiction of a river authority or of a harbour authority.—

(a) stop and search any vessel or vehicle used within the district in fishing or in conveying either fish or any substance the deposit or discharge of which is prohibited or regulated by any such byelaw;

(b) examine any instrument used in fishing for fish and search any container used in carrying fish; and

(c) seize any sea fish or instrument taken or used in contravention of any such byelaw.

(3) For the enforcement of the provisions of any such byelaw every, such officer shall be deemed to be a constable and to have the same powers and privileges and be subject to the same liabilities as a constable duly appointed has and is subject to at common law or by statute.

(4) A local fisheries committee may, with the consent of any river authority, appoint as an officer of the committee any officer of that authority; and a river authority may, with the consent of a local fisheries committee, appoint as an officer of the authority any officer of that committee.