(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— Definitions.
(a) "adjudicating officer" means the Director of Fisheries, West Bengal, or any other officer, not below the rank of Assistant Director of Fisheries, authorised by the State Government by notification, to exercise the powers, conferred on, and discharge the duties imposed upon, the adjudicating officer by this Act for such area as may be specified in the notification;
(b) "appellate authority" means the Secretary, Fisheries Department, Government of West Bengal;
(c) "authorised officer" means such officer as the State Government may by notification authorise in respect of any matter in which a reference is made to such officer in this Act;
Ill The West Bengal Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1993.
[West Ben. Act Authorisation of officers for the purpose of any provision of the Act.
(Chapter 1.—Preliminary—Section 3.)
(d) "fishing vessel" means a ship or boat, whether or not fitted with mechanical means of propulsion, which is used or intended to be used for fishing within the specified area for profit, and includes—
(i) a catamaran,
(ii) a country craft,
(iii) a canoe, or
(iv) a vessel, intended to carry or transport fish within the specified area for gain:
Provided that nothing in this clause shall apply to a vessel which is used in ferry service authorised by the State Government and carries fish owned by passenger on board;
(e) "port" means the space within such limits as may, from lime to time, be defined by the State Government by notification for the purposes of this Act;
(f) "notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette;
(g) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(h) "registered fishing vessel" means—
(i) a fishing vessel registered under section 11 of the Marine Products Export Development Authority Act, 1972, or
(ii) a fishing vessel registered under any other law for the time being in force, or
(iii) a fishing vessel registered under section 9 of this Act;
(i) "specified area" means such area in the sea along the entire coastline of the State, but not beyond territorial waters, as may be specified by the State Government by notification;
(j) "State" means the State of West Bengal, and includes the territorial waters along the entire coastline thereof.
(2) For the purposes of this Act, "territorial waters" shall have the same meaning as in the Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and Other Maritime Zones Act, 1976.
3. The State Government may by notification authorise--
(a) any officer of the State Government, not below the rank of a District Fishery Officer or Deputy Superintendent of Police, Or 13 of 1972.
80 of 1976.
112 The West Bengal Marine Fishing Regulatio'n Act, 1993.
IX of 1993.]
Chapter IL—Regulation of fishing.—Sections 4, 5.)
(b) any Gazetted Officer of the Border Security Force or Coastal Guard, with the consent of the Central.Government, to exercise such of the powers conferred on, and discharge such of the duties imposed upon, an authorised officer under this Act and in such areas as may be specified in the notification.
CHAPTER II Regulation of fishing