SI No 565

Megrim (Fisheries Management and Conservation) (No2) Order, 2002.

I, Dermot Ahern, Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 223A (inserted by section 9 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1978 ( No. 18 of 1978 ), and amended by section 4 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1983 ( No. 27 of 1983 )) of No. 14 of 1959 ), and the Fisheries (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order, 1977 ( S.I. No. 30 of 1977 ) ((as adapted by the Marine and Natural Resources (Alteration of name of Department and Title of Minister) Order, 2002 ( S.I. No 307 of 2002 )), hereby order as follows:

1.           This Order may be cited as the Megrim (Fisheries Management and Conservation) (No 2) Order, 2002 and shall come into operation at midnight on the 11^th day of December 2002.

2.           (1)          In this Order -

“the specified area” means the parts of the sea described in the Annex to the Communication and therein referred to as ICES sub-areas VII;

“megrim” means Lepidorhombus spp

“length”, in relation to a boat, means the distance from the forepart of the stem of the boat to the aft side of the head of the sternpost of the boat or to the foreside of the rudder stock.

(2)          In this Article -

“the Communication” means the Communication (85/C347/05) from the Commission of the European Communities on the description of the ICES Sub-areas and Divisions used for the purpose of fishing statistics and regulations in the North East Atlantic(¹) ;

“ICES” means the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.

(3)          In any proceedings in which a contravention of this Order is alleged prima facie evidence of the Communication may be given by the production of a copy of the Official Journal purporting to contain the Communication.

3.    Neither an Irish sea-fishing boat nor a person on board such boat shall engage in fishing for, landing or transhipment of megrim in the specified area and the master of such boat shall not cause or permit the boat or any person on board to engage in such fishing in the specified area.

4.     In a prosecution for an offence under Article 3 of this Order, the following shall be prima facie evidence that the sea-fishing boat concerned was, at the time of the alleged offence, used for the landing or transhipment of megrim in contravention of the said Article 3;

(a)          evidence that such sea-fishing boat had on board any books, papers or other documents from which it appears to the Court that on the day on which the offence is alleged to have been committed megrim was landed or transhipped contrary to the said Article 3;

(b)          any admission by any person who is for the time being the master or other person in charge, or another member of the crew, of such sea-fishing boat that at such time she was so used,

(c)        Any other matter from which it so appears that such sea-fishing boat was so used or which in the opinion of the Court suggests, or tends to suggest, that such sea-fishing boat was so used.

5.     In a prosecution for an offence under Article 3 of this Order it shall be a defence for the defendant to prove that the Megrim to which the prosecution relates were taken outside the specified area.

6.     The Megrim (Fisheries Management and Conservation) Order, 2002 ( SI No 540 of 2002 ) is hereby revoked.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order prohibits the fishing for, transhipment and landing of Megrim in area VII with effect from midnight on the 11^th day of December 2002.

The Megrim (Fisheries management and Conservation) Order, 2002 ( SI No 540 of 2002 ) is hereby revoked

(This note is not part of the instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation).

Published by the Stationery Office, Dublin

(¹) O.J. C.347/14 of 31/12/85