An Act to regulate all fishing and aquaculture in Malta and to provide for matters related to fisheries and aquaculture.
The Act consists of 41 sections divided into 13 Parts: Preliminary (I); Fishing waters (II); Administration (III); Local fishing vessels (IV); Foreign fishing vessels (V); All fishing vessels (VI): Special arrangements (VII); Enforcement (VIII); Aquaculture (IX); Prohibitions and offences (X); Court proceedings, administrative proceedings and penalties (XI); General (XII); Repeals and transitory provisions (XIII).
Fishing waters of Malta comprise: the internal waters, territorial waters and any other marine waters over which Malta has sovereign rights for purposes of management and conservation of living resources (sect. 3). A Director responsible for fisheries shall be appointed by the Prime Minister under section 4. The tasks of this public officer are set out in the same section. A Fisheries Board is established under section 5. Functions of the Board include the making of proposals for legislation affecting the fishing industry (sect. 6). The Director shall maintain a record of local fishing vessels under section 7. Section 8 imposes a duty of local fishing vessels to obtain a fishing licence in accordance with section 12, whereas section 10 prohibits fishing by foreign vessels without a licence granted under section 12. Section 12 confers the power upon to Director to decide at its discretion to grant licences and to attach conditions to a licence in accordance with indications given in that section. Part VII concerns fisheries research permits and fisheries access agreements. The Act shall be enforced by the Director and fisheries protection officers appointed under comma 4 of section 4. Section 27 provides for permits for fish farming in inland and seawaters. Again, the Director has the power to attach conditions to such permit. The Minister responsible for fisheries may establish a satellite-based monitoring system to monitor the position of fishing vessels and may make regulations for the carrying into effect of purposes of this Act (sects. 36 and 38). Decisions of the Director regarding licences may be revised by a Committee composed of members of the Fisheries Board under section 39.