Merchant Shipping Act 1995

121 Fishing vessel construction rules

(1) The Secretary of State may make rules (in this Chapter referred to as “fishing vessel construction rules”) prescribing requirements for the hull, equipment and machinery of United Kingdom fishing vessels of any description (including any description framed by reference to the areas in which the vessels operate or the dates on which they were first registered in the United Kingdom or on which their construction was begun).

(2) The Secretary of State may exempt any fishing vessel or description of fishing vessel from any requirement of the fishing vessel construction rules.

(3) He may do so generally or for a specified time or with respect to a specified voyage or to voyages in a specified area, and may do so subject to any specified conditions.

(4) A surveyor of ships may inspect any fishing vessel for the purpose of seeing that it complies with the fishing vessel construction rules.

(5) If—

(a) the fishing vessel construction rules are contravened with respect to any vessel; or

(b) a vessel is, under subsection (2) above, exempted from any requirement subject to a condition and the condition is not complied with;

the owner or master of the vessel shall be liable —

(i) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;

(ii) on conviction on indictment, to a fine.