Fisheries Act
(CHAPTER 111)

(Original Enactment: Act 14 of 1966)

REVISED EDITION 2002
(31st December 2002)
An Act for the protection and conservation of fisheries, and to make provision for the control of fishing, the control of the marketing and distribution of fish and the use and control of fishing ports and harbours, for measures pertaining to the general welfare and improvement of the fishing industry in Singapore and for purposes incidental thereto.
[1st January 1969]
PART I
PRELIMINARY
Short title
1.  This Act may be cited as the Fisheries Act.
Interpretation
2.  In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —
“authorised officer” means any person appointed by the Director-General to be an authorised officer under section 3(2);
“Authority” means the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority established under section 3 of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority Act (Cap. 5);
“Director-General” means the Director-General, Agri-Food and Veterinary Services appointed under section 3(1) of the Animals and Birds Act (Cap. 7);
“estuarine waters” means waters extending from the mouth of a river to the uppermost point upstream penetrated by sea water at the highest tide of the year and references to estuarine fishing and estuarine fisheries shall be construed accordingly;
“fish” includes any of the varieties of marine, brackish water or fresh water fishes, crustacea, aquatic mollusca, turtles, marine sponges, trepang and any other form of aquatic life and the young and eggs thereof;
“fish culturist” means any person culturing or cultivating fish for profit and includes fish pond operators and aquarists;
“fish dealer” includes any person engaged in buying (except for personal consumption), selling, exposing for sale, consigning or exhibiting fish, whether living, fresh or processed, in any manner, or any person engaged in processing fish;
“fish pond” means any enclosed area of water whether fresh or otherwise, which is used or intended for use in the cultivation, storage or capture of fish, and includes estuarine prawn ponds;
“fishing stakes” means any device used for the capture of fish which is made up of poles or other supports permanently fixed into the ground and enclosed by ramie, rattan, wire or other screening material, so designed as to lead fish into the enclosures, or any device using a net or other screening material that is anchored permanently or impermanently;
“fishing vessel” includes any ship or boat or any other description of vessel used for fishing or the transport of fish or fishing materials;
“inland waters” means any rivers, streams, lakes, ponds and other waters, whether private or otherwise, other than maritime and estuarine waters and references to inland fishing and inland fisheries shall be construed accordingly;
“maritime waters” means that part of the seas adjacent to Singapore, both within and outside territorial waters, whether or not citizens of Singapore have by international law the exclusive right of fishing therein; and where that part is defined by the terms of any convention, treaty or arrangement between Singapore and any other country includes the part so defined and references to maritime fishing and maritime fisheries shall be construed accordingly;
“master” includes every person, except a pilot, having command or charge of any vessel;
“processed fish” means fish that has been cured, cooked, frozen or preserved in any manner and includes any product derived or manufactured wholly or partly from fish, and reference to “processing fish” shall be construed accordingly.
[12/94; 16/2000]