72.Section 32(1) amends section 3(3) of the Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) Act 1967 to increase the maximum fine level for an offence under a Regulating Order to £50,000. A Regulating Order is secondary legislation made under the 1967 Act which provides a local management mechanism for agreed shellfish stocks in defined areas whereby a grantee may use a licensing system to manage stocks and effort in the fisheries. Subsection (2) amends section 4(7) of the Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) Act 1967 to provide that the discretionary revocation of a licence by the grantee can happen after the licence holder is convicted of one fisheries offence. Previously, this could only happen after a second offence.
73.This section amends section 30(1) of the Fisheries Act 1981 (Enforcement of Community rules) to apply the provisions of that subsection to enforceable Community obligations (for example, the obligation on certain fishing vessels to have a working satellite tracking device on board) as well as enforceable Community restrictions.