Inshore fisheries and conservation districts and authorities
Section 149: Establishment of inshore fisheries and conservation districts
423.This section provides for the Secretary of State to establish IFC districts. Such districts are to be established by order and will consist of one or more local authority areas that have a seashore. The seaward extent of a district will be determined in the order establishing that district. The term “seashore” is defined in section 186.
424.Subsection (3) requires the Secretary of State to consult certain people and organisations before making an order establishing an IFC district.
Section 150: Inshore fisheries and conservation authorities
425.This section requires there to be an IFC authority for every IFC district and provides that the IFC authority is a committee, or a joint committee (in the case of more than one local authority), of the local authority or authorities falling within the district.
Section 151: Membership and proceedings of IFC authorities
426.Subsection (1) requires that an order establishing an IFC district must provide for the membership of the IFC authority for that district. The membership must comprise members of constituent local authorities, persons appointed by the MMO according to the criteria in subsection (2) and other persons.
427.Subsection (3) provides for the Secretary of State to amend by order the descriptions of persons appointed as members of an IFC authority. Provision is also made for any consequential amendments to be made to this section as appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary. The order may only add further descriptions of persons appointed as members of an IFC authority, or vary or remove descriptions so added. The descriptions currently set out in subsection (2) may not be varied or removed.
428.Subsections (4) and (5) require the order establishing an IFC district to specify the total number of members of the IFC authority for the district. The order must also specify the number of members to be appointed from each constituent local authority and the number of members appointed by the MMO. The order must also set out the number of members to be appointed in the category “other persons” and by whom they are to be appointed.
429.An order establishing an IFC district may include the provision set out in subsection (6) as to the membership and procedures of the IFC authority for that district, for example provision as to how the chair of the IFC authority is to be appointed.
430.Subsection (7) lists certain enactments that concern the proceedings of local authority committees or joint committees. These will apply to an IFC authority subject to any provision made by the order establishing the district.
431.Subsection (8) provides definitions for the terms “the fishing community” and “marine environmental matters”.
432.Subsection (9) provides for the reference to the MMO in subsection (1)(b) to be read as the Secretary of State until the MMO comes into being, at which point anybody appointed to the IFC authority by the Secretary of State would be treated as if appointed by the MMO.
Section 152: Amendment or revocation of orders under section 149
433.This section allows the Secretary of State to amend or revoke an order that established an IFC district. Certain persons and organisations must be consulted before an order is amended or revoked, including any likely to be affected by the amendment or revocation.
