15F.— (1) Subject to subsection (3), an Irish citizen shall not take charge, or attempt to take charge, of an Irish sea-fishing boat or a foreign sea‑fishing boat wherever it may be, unless he or she is for the time being registered in the Irish Fishing Master Register.

(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a class A fine, or

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €15,000.

(3) In proceedings for an offence under subsection (2), it shall be a defence for the defendant to prove that he or she took charge of the Irish sea-fishing boat or the foreign sea-fishing boat in order to avert, or to seek to avert, an immediate or imminent danger to the boat or a person on the boat.]