Fisheries Protection (Amendment) Bill 1998

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Amend the Fisheries Protection Ordinance.

Enacted by the Legislative Council.

1. Short title and commencement

(1) This Ordinance may be cited as the Fisheries Protection (Amendment) Ordinance 1998.

(2) This Ordinance shall come into operation on a day to be appointed by the Secretary for Economic Services by notice in the Gazette.

2. Regulations

Section 4 of the Fisheries Protection Ordinance (Cap. 171) is amended---

(a) in subsection (1) by adding---

"(ga) the prohibition or restriction of the use of any apparatus of a class or description specified under paragraph (gb), for the purpose of fishing;

(gb) the specification by the Director, by notice published in the Gazette, of the class or description of apparatus for the purposes of paragraph (ga);";

(b) in subsection (2) by repealing "$10,000" and substituting "$200,000".

3. Amendment of Schedule

Section 10 is amended by repealing "Governor in Council" and substituting "Director".

Explanatory Memorandum

This Bill amends the Fisheries Protection Ordinance (Cap. 171) to---

(a) expand the regulation making power to provide for regulations prohibiting or restricting the use of apparatus specified by the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries in the Gazette, for the purpose of fishing;

(b) increase the maximum fine for an offence under the regulation from $10,000 to $200,000; and

(c) confer power on the Director to amend the Schedule to the Ordinance.