Enforcement of EU rules

1.-(1) Section 30 of the Fisheries Act 1981 (enforcement of Community rules) is amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (1)-

(a)for "enforceable Community restrictions" substitute "enforceable EU restrictions, and enforceable EU obligations,";

(b)for paragraph (a) substitute-

"(a)if any fishing boat within the Northern Ireland zone-

(i)fishes in contravention of any such restriction, or

(ii)fails to comply with any such obligation,

the master, the owner and the charterer (if any) are each guilty of an offence;";

(c)after paragraph (a) insert-

"(aa)if any Northern Ireland fishing boat outside the Northern Ireland zone-

(i)fishes in contravention of any such restriction, or

(ii)fails to comply with any such obligation,

the master, the owner and the charterer (if any) are each guilty of an offence;

(ab)if any person in Northern Ireland-

(i)fishes in contravention of any such restriction, or

(ii)fails to comply with any such obligation,

that person is guilty of an offence;";

(d)in paragraph (b), for "such offences" substitute "offences under paragraph (a), (aa) or (ab) of this subsection";

(e)in paragraph (c), after "restrictions" insert "and obligations".

(3) In subsection (2), for "enforceable Community restriction" substitute "enforceable EU restriction".

(4) After subsection (2) insert-

"(2ZA) The provision that may be made by an order under subsection (2) includes-

(a)provision applying to Northern Ireland fishing boats outside the Northern Ireland zone;

(b)provision applying to persons of a specified description on board a Northern Ireland fishing boat outside the Northern Ireland zone.

In this subsection "specified" means specified in the order.".

(5) In subsection (3)-

(a)for "Community", wherever it occurs, substitute "EU";

(b)insert at the appropriate places the following definitions-

""Northern Ireland fishing boat" means a fishing vessel which is registered in the register maintained under section 8 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 and whose entry in the register specifies a port in Northern Ireland as the port to which the vessel is to be treated as belonging;";

""Northern Ireland zone" has the same meaning as in the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (see section 98(1) and (8) of that Act);".

(6) In the heading, for "Community" substitute "EU".

Short title

2.  This Act may be cited as the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 2016.