Marine Living Resources Act, 1998 (Act No. 18 of 1998)Chapter 6 : Law Enforcement56. Co-operation with officials |
| (1) | Whenever a fishing control officer or an honorary marine conservation officer exercises any power or performs any duty in terms of this Act, he or she shall at the request of any person affected thereby, produce the identity card contemplated in section 9(3) to such person for inspection. |
| (2) | The master and each member of the crew of any fishing vessel, the driver of any vehicle and the pilot and crew of any aircraft shall immediately comply with any lawful instruction given or request made by a fishery control officer and shall facilitate safe boarding, entry and inspection of the vessel, vehicle or aircraft and any gear, equipment, register, document, fish and fish product. |
| (3) | The master and each member of the crew of any fishing vessel, the driver of any vehicle and the pilot and crew of any aircraft shall take all measures to ensure the safety of a fishery control officer in the performance of his or her duties. |
| (4) | The holder of a permit for and all persons employed at any fish processing establishment, shall immediately comply with any instruction or request given by a fishery control officer, facilitate his or her safe entry and inspection of the fish processing establishment, records, documents, fish and fish products and take all measures necessary to ensure the safety of a fishery control officer in the performance of his or her duties. |
(5) No person shall—
| (a) | assault, obstruct, resist, delay, refuse the boarding of, intimidate or fail to take all reasonable measures to ensure the safety of, or otherwise interfere with a fishery control officer or observer in the performance of his or her duties; |
| (b) | incite or encourage any other person to assault, resist or obstruct any fishery control officer while exercising or performing his or her powers or duties, or any other person lawfully acting under the orders of the fishery control officer in his or her aid; |
| (c) | use threatening language or behave in a threatening or insulting manner or use abusive language or insulting gestures towards any fishery control officer or observer while exercising or performing his or her powers or duties, or towards any other person lawfully acting under the orders of a fishery control officer in his or her aid; |
| (d) | fail to comply with the lawful requirements of any fishery control officer or observer; |
| (e) | furnish to any fishery control officer any particulars which are false or misleading; |
| (f) | impersonate or falsely represent himself or herself as a fishery control officer; or |
| (g) | falsely represent himself or herself as a person lawfully acting under a fishery control officer’s orders or in his or her aid. |