26.—(1) The Department may make byelaws for the purpose of furthering the conservation objectives stated for an MCZ.
(2) Byelaws under this section may be made so as to apply to any area in the Northern Ireland inshore region or in any other part of Northern Ireland.
(3) The provision that may be made by byelaws under this section includes, in particular, provision—
(a)prohibiting or restricting entry into, or any movement or other activity within, the MCZ by persons or animals;
(b)prohibiting or restricting entry into, or any movement or other activity within, the MCZ by vessels or (where appropriate) vehicles;
(c)restricting the speed at which any vessel may move in the MCZ or in any specified area outside the MCZ where that movement might hinder the conservation objectives stated for the MCZ;
(d)prohibiting or restricting the anchoring of any vessel within the MCZ;
(e)prohibiting or restricting the killing, taking, destruction, molestation or disturbance of animals or plants of any description in the MCZ;
(f)prohibiting or restricting the doing of anything in the MCZ which would interfere with the sea bed or damage or disturb any object in the MCZ.
(4) The provision that may be made by byelaws under this section also includes provision prohibiting or restricting entry into, or any movement or other activity on, any part of the seashore that adjoins the MCZ by persons, animals or vehicles.
(5) Byelaws under this section may provide for the Department to issue permits authorising anything which would, apart from such a permit, be unlawful under the byelaws.
(6) The Department may attach to a permit under subsection (5) any condition which the Department thinks appropriate to attach to that permit.
(7) Byelaws under this section may be made subject to specified exceptions.
(8) Byelaws under this section may make different provision for different cases, including (in particular)—
(a)different parts of the MCZ;
(b)different times of the year;
(c)different means or methods of carrying out any activity.
(9) In this section “specified” means specified in the byelaws.