(1)If for any reason it appears to the Secretary of State that a registered vessel may no longer be eligible to be registered as a British fishing vessel, he may by notice served on—
(a)the owner of the vessel, or
(b)any charterer, manager or operator of the vessel,
require that person, at such time or times as may be specified in the notice—
(i)to produce to the Secretary of State such documents or descriptions of documents specified in the notice, and
(ii)to furnish to him, in such form as may be specified in the notice, such accounts, estimates, returns or other information (of whatever nature) specified in the notice,
as the Secretary of State thinks necessary for the purpose of determining whether the vessel is eligible to be so registered.
(2)In a case where the owner of a registered vessel is a company, subsection (1) shall apply to any person holding any shares in the company as it applies to the company.
(3)Where the Secretary of State has served a notice under subsection (1) with respect to any vessel, then, unless he has become satisfied that the vessel is eligible to be registered as a British fishing vessel—
(a)he shall, as soon as practicable after the end of the period of 30 days beginning with the date of service of that notice, serve a notice under subsection (6) on the owner of the vessel, and
(b)the vessel’s registration shall terminate by virtue of this subsection at the relevant time.
(4)Where it appears to the Secretary of State that there is not in force in respect of any registered vessel any such certificate as is mentioned in section 15(2), he may by notice served on the owner of the vessel require the vessel to be presented for a survey under the fishing vessel survey rules within the period of 30 days beginning with the date of service of the notice.
(5)If the vessel is not presented for such a survey within that period—
(a)the Secretary of State shall serve a notice under subsection (6) on the owner of the vessel, and
(b)the vessel’s registration shall terminate by virtue of this subsection at the relevant time.
(6)A notice under this subsection is a notice stating—
(a)that the Secretary of State is not satisfied that the vessel in question is eligible to be registered as a British fishing vessel, or
(b)that the vessel has not been presented for a survey as required by a notice under subsection (4),
as the case may be, and that the vessel’s registration will accordingly terminate at the relevant time by virtue of subsection (3) or (5).
(7)In this section “the relevant time”, in relation to a notice under subsection (6), means the end of the period of 14 days beginning with the date of service of that notice.
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 16(1)(4) amended by S.I. 1988/1926, reg. 55