The Third Country Fishing (Enforcement) Order 1996

Powers of British sea-fishery officers on land

7.—(1) For the purpose of enforcing the provisions of article 3 of this Order, any British sea-fishery officer may—

(a) enter and inspect at any reasonable time any premises used for carrying on any business in connection with the operation of fishing boats or activities connected therewith or ancillary thereto or with the treatment, storage or sale of sea fish;

(b) take with him such other persons as appear to him to be necessary and any equipment or materials;

(c) examine any fish on the premises and require persons on the premises to do anything which appears to him to be necessary for facilitating the examination;

(d) carry out at such premises such other inspections or tests as may reasonably be necessary;

(e) require any person not to remove or cause to be removed any fish from such premises for such a period as may be reasonably necessary for the purposes of his examination of it;

(f) require any person on the premises to produce any documents which are in his custody or possession relating to the catching, landing, transportation, trans-shipment, sale or disposal of any sea fish;

(g) for the purpose of ascertaining whether any person on the premises has committed an offence under article 3 of this Order, may search the premises for any such document and may require any person on the premises to do anything which appears to him to be necessary for facilitating the search;

(h) inspect and take copies of any such document.

(2) The provisions of paragraph (1) above shall apply mutatis mutandis in relation to any land used in connection with any of the activities described in paragraph (1) above, or in respect of any vehicle which a British sea-fishery officer has reasonable cause to believe is being used to transport fisheries products, as they apply in relation to premises and, in the case of a vehicle, shall include power to require the vehicle to stop at any time and, if necessary, direct the vehicle to some other place to facilitate the inspection.