Hydrographic Act, 2019 (Act No. 35 of 2019)

In this Act, unless the context otherwise indicates—

‘‘Chief of the Navy’’

means the officer in command of the South African Navy;

‘‘Department’’

means the Department responsible for defence;

‘‘exclusive economic zone’’

means the sea beyond the territorial waters of the Republic, but within a distance of two hundred nautical miles from the baselines;

‘‘Hydrographer’’

means the person appointed as such in terms of section 5;

‘‘hydrographic data’’

means all data obtained from the measurement and description of the physical features of the exclusive economic zone, all internal waters and adjacent terrain, including the depth of the water, configuration and the nature of the topography beneath, the direction and force of currents, heights and times of tides and water stages, location of topographic features and fixed objects for survey and navigation;

‘‘Hydrographic Office’’

means the office established by section 3;

‘‘hydrographic surveying’’

means surveying for the purpose of determining hydrographic data;

‘‘hydrographic surveyor’’

means any person who studied and practises the science of hydrography, and who is registered in terms of the Geomatics Profession Act, 2013 (Act No. 19 of 2013);

‘‘internal waters’’

means all waters landward of the baselines, including all harbours;

‘‘Minister’’

means the Cabinet member responsible for defence;

‘‘nautical publication and nautical chart’’

means a special purpose map or book, or a specially compiled database from which such a map or book is derived which is authorised by the Hydrographic Office, designed to meet the requirements of marine navigation or other relevant government institutions;

‘‘NAVAREA-VII’’

means that particular area of the world ocean in respect of which the Republic, as a member of the International Maritime Organisation and the International Hydrographic Organisation, has been assigned by those organisations to assume the responsibility of coordinating, compiling and disseminating navigational warnings;

‘‘navigational warning’’

means a broadcast message that conveys navigational information;

‘‘prescribed’’

means prescribed by regulation;

‘‘this Act’’

includes any regulations made thereunder; and

‘‘user’’

means any person who obtains through purchase, or otherwise, information from or products of the Hydrographic Office, or who pays for the services of the Hydrographic Office.