The Agriculture and Fisheries (Financial Assistance) (Northern Ireland) Order 1986

PART VI FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR SEA FISH INDUSTRY

Schemes of financial assistance for sea fish industry

17.—(1) The Department may, in accordance with a scheme made by it with the approval of the Department of Finance and Personnel, make grants or loans for the purpose of re-organising, developing or promoting the sea fish industry or of contributing to the expenses of those engaged in it.

(2) A scheme under this Article may be limited so as to apply to a specified part or area of Northern Ireland and may authorise the Department to make provision for any purpose specified in the scheme.

(3) A scheme under this Article shall come into operation on such date as is specified in the scheme and shall be laid before the Assembly as soon as may be after being made and shall cease to have effect upon the expiration of the period of forty days beginning with the day on which it came into operation unless within that period it has been approved by a resolution of the Assembly.

(4) Any person who—

(a) in furnishing any information in purported compliance with a requirement imposed by a scheme made under this Article makes a statement which he knows to be false in a material particular or recklessly makes a statement which is false in a material particular; or

(b) in purported compliance with a requirement imposed by such a scheme produces a document which he knows to be false in a material particular or recklessly produces a document which is false in a material particular; or

(c) wilfully refuses to supply any information, make any return or produce any document when required to do so by or under any such scheme,

shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(5) For the purposes of this Article “the sea fish industry” means the sea fish industry in Northern Ireland and a person shall be regarded as engaged in the sea fish industry if—

(a) he carries on in Northern Ireland, or is employed in Northern Ireland in, the business of operating vessels for catching or processing sea fish or for transporting sea fish or sea fish products, being vessels registered in the United Kingdom; or

(b) he carries on in Northern Ireland, or is employed in Northern Ireland in, the business of selling sea fish or sea fish products by wholesale or retail, of loading, unloading or the inland transport of sea fish or sea fish products or of processing sea fish (including the business of a fish fryer).

(6) In this Article “sea fish” means fish of any kind found in the sea, including shellfish, crustaceans and molluscs but not any fish of the salmon species or any species of trout which migrates to and from the sea.