| Committee/Panel: Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Panel | |
| Launch Date: 18 January 2023 | Close Date: To be advised |
| Submissions Deadline: To be advised | Ministerial Response Date: To be advised |
| Review Status: Comments published | |
The Panel has now presented its comments paper to the States Assembly.
About
The Draft Sea Fisheries (TCA - Licensing of Fishing Boats) (Amendment of Law and Regulations (No. 2) (Jersey) Regulations 202- [P.115/2022] was lodged on 15th December 2022 by the Minister for the Environment and approved, in principle, during the States debate held on 18th January 2023.
However, owing to concerns raised by the Jersey Fishermen Association (JFA) regarding the lack of safeguards in place within the draft regulations protecting from over-fishing and allowing French fishing vessels to increase in size; the draft Regulations were referred to Scrutiny under Standing Order 72. A revised date was set for the debate on the draft Regulations to resume at the States sitting the week of the 7th of February.
If adopted, the draft Regulations would provide the Minister with greater flexibility when issuing licences to replacement vessels and would allow the Minister to grant an in-principle decision prior to full application for a fishing boat licence.
The current Sea Fisheries (Jersey) Law 1994 (the 1994 Law) allows the Minister to issue a licence to a replacement vessel (known as a substitute vessel in the 1994 Law) only if the following conditions are met with relation to the vessel's fishing activity and characteristics:
- uses the same method and gear as the vessel it replaces
- no greater in length, breadth, tonnage and power than the vessel it is replacing.
Terms of reference
N/A