Cooperating with Authorized Officers/Inspectors/Observers

(1) The master and each crew member of any fishing vessel shall immediately comply with every instruction or direction given by an Authorized Officer or Inspector or observer as appropriate and facilitate safe boarding, entry and inspection of the vessel and any fishing gear, equipment, records, fish and fish products. 44 (2) Every person commits an offense who– (a) assaults, obstructs, resists, delays, refuses boarding to, intimidates or fails to take all reasonable measures to ensure the safety of or otherwise interferes with an Authorized Officer or Inspector or observer in the performance of his duties; (b) incites or encourages any other person to assault, resist or obstruct any authorized officer, inspector, observer while carrying out his powers or duties, or any person lawfully acting under the Authorized Officer’s orders or in his aid; (c) uses threatening language or behaves in a threatening or insulting manner or uses abusive language or insulting gestures towards any Authorized Officer or Observer while in the execution of his powers or duties, or any person lawfully acting under an authorized officer’s order or in his aid; (d) fails to comply with the lawful requirement of any Authorized Officer or Observer; (e) fails to take all reasonable measures to ensure the safety of an Authorized Officer or Observer as appropriate in the performance of his duties; (f) furnishes to any Authorized Officer or Observer any particulars which to his knowledge are false or misleading in any respect; (g) impersonates or falsely represents himself to be an Authorized Oficer or Authorized High Seas Fishing 45 Observer or who falsely represents himself to be a person lawfully acting under an authorized officer’s order or in his aid; (h) impersonates or falsely represents himself to be the master or other officer of a fishing vessel; or (i) is in breach of any other duty to Authorized Officer or Observer required under this Act. (3) Every person referred to in sub-section (2) above shall be liable to disciplinary measures or pecuniary measures, or both, in accordance with the Sanction Regulations. (4) Adequate accommodation on board the vessel shall be provided to any Authorized Observer in accordance with regulations made under this Act. (5) For the purpose of sub-section (2), any person who does not allow any Authorized Officer or Inspector or any person acting under his order or in his assistance, or an Authorized Observer to exercise any of the powers conferred on such person by this Act shall be deemed to be obstructing that officer, person or observer.