Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997

Appointment of staff of Marine Institute as authorised officers and powers in relation to aquaculture.

81

81.(1) A person employed by the Marine Institute may be appointed as an authorised officer under the Fisheries Acts, 1959 to 1995, as amended by this Act, for any of the purposes for which an officer of the Minister may be appointed as an authorised officer under those Acts.

(2) In addition to any other powers he or she may have under the Fisheries Acts, 1959 to 1995, as amended by this Act, a member of the Garda Síochána, or an officer of the Minister or a person employed by the Marine Institute and appointed as an authorised officer under those Acts, may, for the purposes of determining whether a provision of this Act, or a regulation made under this Act, relating to aquaculture, or a condition to which an aquaculture licence or trial licence is subject, is being or has been complied with—

(a) enter any place or waters the subject of an aquaculture licence or trial licence or on or in which he or she believes, on reasonable grounds, aquaculture is being or has been carried on, or any building or structure used in connection with such place, waters or aquaculture,

(b) inspect anything found on or in such a place, waters or building or structure he or she believes may be evidence of such aquaculture,

(c) require the production of any—

(i) licence, or

(ii) book or other document he or she believes on reasonable grounds to be evidence of the carrying on of aquaculture on or in the place or waters,

and inspect and take copies of any such licence, books or other documents, and

(d) do all such other acts or things as he or she is authorised to do by or under the Fisheries Acts, 1959 to 1995, as amended by this Act.