Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires“buoys and beacons” includes all other marks and signs used for that purpose; “harbour” means a harbour named in or appointed under this Act and includes the approaches or channels of ingress and the foreshore of any harbour; “Harbour Master” means any person lawfully performing the duties of such officer, or acting under the orders of the Harbour “home-trade vessel” includes every vessel employed in trading between any port or place in Belize, and ports or places along 8 the line of coast from Belize north and west to the port of Campêche, and south and east to San Juan de Nicaragua, including the Bay Islands; CAP. 236. “IMMARBE” means the International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize established under section 3 of the Registration of Merchant Ships Act; “internal waters” means any areas of water that are on the landward side of the baseline of the territorial sea; “lighthouses” includes floating and other lights exhibited for the guidance of ships; “Minister” means the Minister for the time being responsible for Ports; “owner” means– (a) the person in whose name the vessel is (b) in the case of a vessel which is not registered, the person in charge of or in actual possession or control of the vessel in Belize; (c) in the case of a vessel which is the subject of a hire- purchase agreement, the person in possession or control of the vessel under the agreement, “passenger” means a person other than the master and crew, but shall not include distressed seamen; CAP. 233. “Port Authority” means the Belize Port Authority established under the Belize Port Authority Act; “seaman” includes every person except masters and pilots, employed or engaged in any capacity on board any ship; Harbours and Merchant Shipping [CAP. 234 9 “ship” means and includes every description of vessel, boat or other craft used in navigation, including all vessels particularly referred to in Part III; CAP. 11. “territorial sea” or “territorial waters” has the same meaning as assigned to it in the Maritime Areas Act;