Merchant Shipping Act 1995

124 Provisions supplementary to section 123. U.K.

(1) The Secretary of State may require a fishing vessel certificate which has expired or been cancelled, to be delivered up as he directs.

(2) If the owner or skipper of the fishing vessel fails without reasonable excuse to comply with a requirement made under subsection (1) above, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale.

(3) The owner or skipper of a fishing vessel to whom a fishing vessel certificate is issued shall forthwith, on the receipt of the certificate by him (or his agent), cause a copy of it to be put up in some conspicuous place on board the vessel, so as to be legible to all persons on board, and to be kept so put up and legible while the certificate remains in force and the vessel is in use.

(4) If the owner or skipper of a fishing vessel fails without reasonable excuse to comply with subsection (3) above, he shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale.

(5) If any person intentionally makes, or assists in making, or procures to be made, a false or fraudulent fishing vessel certificate he shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or both;

(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine or both.

(6) In Scotland, if any person—

(a) forges, assists in forging or procures to be forged,

(b) fraudulently alters, assists in fraudulently altering or procures to be fraudulently altered,

any fishing vessel certificate he shall be liable—

(i) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both; or

(ii) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment or to both.

(7) A fishing vessel certificate shall be admissible in evidence.