Duties towards Fisheries Officers and observers

(1) The master and each crew member of any fishing vessel, the driver of any vehicle and the pilot and crew of any aircraft shall immediately comply with every instruction or direction given by an observer as appropriate, and facilitate safe boarding, entry and inspection of the vessel, vehicle or aircraft and any fishing gear, equipment, records, fish and fish products. (2) The master and each crew member of a vessel, driver of a vehicle and pilot and crew of an aircraft shall ensure the safety of a Fisheries Officer or observer as appropriate in the performance of his duties. (3) A person commits an offence who contravenes sub- sections (1) or (2), or– (a) assaults, obstructs, resists, delays, refuses boarding to, intimidates or fails to ensure the safety of or otherwise interferes with a or in the performance of his duties; 66 Fisheries Resources (b) incites or encourages any other person to assault, resist, or obstruct a Fisheries Officer while in the execution of his powers or duties, or a person lawfully acting under the 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 a Fisheries Officer or observer while in the execution of his powers or duties, or a person lawfully acting under a Fisheries Officer's orders or in his aid; (d) fails to comply with the lawful requirements or a Fisheries Officer or observer; (e) furnishes to a Fisheries Officer any particulars which are false or misleading in any material respect; (f) impersonates or falsely represents himself to be a Fisheries Officer, or who falsely represents himself to be a person lawfully acting under a Fisheries Officer's orders or in his aid; (g) resists lawful arrest for any act prohibited by this Act; or (h) is in breach of any other duty to a Fisheries Officer or Fisheries observer under this Act. (4) For the purpose of sub-section (3), a person who does not allow a Fisheries Officer, or a person acting under his orders or in his aid, or an observer, to exercise any of the powers conferred on such person by this Act shall be deemed to be obstructing that officer or person. Fisheries Resources [CAP. 210 67 (5) A person who, being a master, owner, charterer, agent, or a company who controls a fishing vessel which requires to transport or have on board a Fisheries Officer or Observer in the fisheries waters and causes that officer to disembark outside the territory of Belize, commits an offence and upon summary conviction shall be liable, in addition to any fine, for all costs of repatriation including board and lodging while out of Belize and direct transportation to Belize. (6) A person who commits an offence against this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not less than one thousand dollars nor more than one hundred thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not less than six months nor more than two years or to both fine and imprisonment.