Sea Fisheries Act 1883

12 Powers of British sea-fishery officers

For the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this Act and of any Order in Council under this Act or under the Sea Fisheries Act, 1868, as amended by this Act, a British sea-fishery officer may with respect to any sea-fishing boat within the exclusive limits of the British Islands and with respect to any British sea-fishing boat outside of those limits, exercise the following powers :

(1) He may go on board it;

(2) He may require the owner, master, and crew, or any of them, to produce any certificates of registry, licences, official logbooks, official papers, articles of agreement, muster rolls, and other documents relating to the boat or to the crew, or to any member thereof, or to any person on board the boat, which are in their respective possession or control on board the boat, and may take copies thereof or of any part thereof;

(3) He may muster the crew of the boat;

(4) He may require the master to appear and give any explanation concerning his boat and her crew, and any person on board his boat, and the said certificates of registry, licences, official logbooks, official papers, articles of agreement, muster rolls, and other documents, or any of them ;

(5) He may examine all sails, lights, small boats, anchors, grapnels, and fishing implements belonging to the boat;

(6) He may seize any instrument serving only or intended to damage or destroy fishing implements, by cutting or otherwise, which is found on board the boat or in the possession of any person belonging to the boat;

(7) He may make any examination or inquiry which he deems necessary to ascertain whether any contravention of the provisions of this Act, or of any such Order of Council as aforesaid has been committed, or to fix the amount of compensation due for any damage done to another sea-fishing boat, or to any person or property on board thereof or belonging thereto, and may administer an oath for such purpose ; and

(8) In the case of any person who appears to him to have committed any such contravention he may, without summons, warrant, or other process, both take the offender and the boat to which he belongs and the crew thereof to the nearest or most convenient port, and bring him or them before a competent court, and detain him, it, and them in the port until the alleged contravention has been adjudicated upon.