Draft Sea Fisheries Amendment

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A decision made (24/07/2006) regarding Draft Sea Fisheries (Licensing of Fishing Boats) (Amendment No. 2) (Jersey) Regulations 200-.

Subject:	Draft Sea Fisheries (Licensing of Fishing Boats)(Amendment No. 2)(Jersey) Regulations 200-
Decision Reference:	MD-PE-2006-0072		Exempt clause(s):	n/a
Type of Report: (oral or written)	Written		Person Giving Report (if oral):	n/a
Telephone or e-mail Meeting?	n/a		Report File ref:	6.1.8
Written report – Title	Draft Amendment No. 2 to Sea Fisheries (Licensing of Fishing Boats)(Jersey) Regulations 2003
Written report – Author (name and job title)	Mike Smith (Senior Fisheries Inspector)
Decision(s): The draft Sea Fisheries (Licensing of Fishing Boats)(Amendment No. 2)(Jersey) Regulations 200- are approved for lodging and debate on 12 September 2006.
Reason(s) for decision: The amendment replaces the requirement that all fishing vessel licences are renewed annually with a requirement that they be renewed every two years. This will reduce the administrative burden and thus costs placed on professional fishermen and staff of the Environment Division.
Action required: States Greffe to arrange for the draft to be lodged and for the draft to be debated in sufficient time to allow implementation prior to the end of 2006
Signature: (Minister/ Assistant Minister)		Date of Decision: 24 July 2006

Draft Sea Fisheries Amendment

PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT

Environment Division

DRAFT SEA FISHERIES (LICENSING OF FISHING BOATS) (AMENDMENT No. 2 ) ( JERSEY ) REGULATIONS 200-

Public

Purpose of the Report

To approve the draft Sea Fisheries (Licensing of Fishing Boats) (Amendment No 2) (Jersey) Regulations 200- and to authorise that those Regulations be lodged for debate within a timescale that will allow for their implementation prior to the end of 2006.

Background

The Environment and Public Services Committee approved the drafting of the Sea Fisheries (Licensing of Fishing Boats) (Amendment No.2) (Jersey) Regulations at their last meeting on 17th November 2005.

The amendment seeks to reduce the administrative burden on both fishermen and administrators by bringing Jersey in to line with the United Kingdom and Guernsey by increasing the period of validity of fishing boat licences from one to two years.

Discussion

The annual renewal of fishing licences was originally necessary to ensure that records were kept up to date. Since the introduction of the licensing scheme tighter links have been established with the Registry and fishermen understand better the need to notify administrators of changes in details, rendering the need for annual renewal an unnecessary burden on both administrators and fishermen.

There are some 200 fishing boat licences and at the end of each year the applicant has to apply for the licence to be renewed for the following year. Each licence comprises of between 12 and 20 pages and so there are financial and manpower costs associated with licence renewal.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the draft be approved and lodged for debate within an appropriate timescale to allow implementation prior to the end of 2006.

Written by:	Mike Smith (Senior Fisheries Inspector)

Approved by:	Chris Newton (Director of the Environment)

Endorsed by:	[If other department involved -Director’s name and Directorate]

Attachments: Draft Sea Fisheries (Licensing of Fishing Boats) (Amendment No. 2) (Jersey) Regulations 200-.

Report to accompany the draft regulations.

6/1/8

9th June 2006