Duties of owner of apiary

(1) Every owner or person having the charge or management of any apiary who knows of or suspects the existence of any disease in such apiary shall with all practicable speed give notice in writing to the Chief Agricultural Officer and to the Belize Agricultural Health Authority of the fact of the apiary being so infected or suspected, and shall in such notice give all information in his power as to the extent and nature of such disease. The notice shall be served personally or shall be sent by registered post. (2) Where the owner or person having the charge or management of any apiary is charged with an offence under this section, he shall be presumed to have known of the existence of the disease, unless and until he shows to the satisfaction of the court that he had no knowledge thereof, and could not with reasonable diligence have obtained that knowledge.