( 1) 'fhe adjudtcating officer shall, after the enquiry .lndcr:5eCtlon 16, dcc1de wheth~r any person h<l.~ used, or caused or allowed to be used, any fish tug vessel 1 n cont1 avenli Jll of any of the provisions of this Act (Jl of ar, y order or 1 ule made thereunder u.L· auy ,Jf the conditions of the licence and any such person, on being !ound guilty by the a~JUdlCc.l.llng officer, shall be liable to such penalty not exc~edtng-
(a) five thousand rupees, 1f the value of the fish mvolved 1s one 0 thousand rupees 01 lc.s~ ,
(b) hve thncs the value of the fi~h, if the value of the fish 1nvolved ts n1ore than one thousand rupees; or {c) hve thousanclt upces, in any other case, b~u1g a ca:.e not involv1ng any fish, as 1n~y bJ; adjudged by the adjudicating otl1ccr.
( ' I' I I "\ 57
(2) In addition to any penalty that may be hnposcd under sub-sccti0n
(1), the ndjudicating ofliccr may direct that-
(a) the registration cctlificatc of the fishing vessel \vhich ha~ b,·cn used, or caused or aJiowcd to be used, in the manner referred to in subsection (1) or th<~ licence, any condition of which has bce1i contravened, shall bc-
(i) cancelled or revol(ed, as the case may be; or
(ii) suspended for such period as the adjudicating officer deems fit; or
(b) the fishing vessel or fish that may have been impounded or seized, as the case may be, under section 14 shall be forfeite<l to the Government :
l1rovided that no fishing vessel.sha) 1 be forfeited under clause (b) if the ntlj udicating officer after hearing the owner of such vessel or any person claiming any right thereto i~ <;atisficd that the owner or such person had exercised due care for the prevention of the commission of such offence.