During the meeting of the Parliament’s (Milli Majlis) Committee on Agrarian Policy, a completely new draft law “On Fisheries,” which will align Azerbaijan’s fishing sector with modern standards, was brought up for discussion in its first reading.
According to sea-news.az this document establishes new legal foundations for fisheries in the country, including the catching of fish and other aquatic bioresources, the organization of aquaculture (artificial fish breeding), the digital management of this sector, as well as the reproduction, utilization, and protection of aquatic life.
Multi-Faceted Legal Integration and Food Safety
The new draft law synchronizes the fishing sector with other crucial legislative acts. Accordingly, relations emerging in this field regarding water, land, property, and environmental protection, as well as issues related to the minimum quality and safety of fish products, will be regulated by taking into account the requirements of the Water and Land Codes, and the laws “On Food Safety,” “On Fauna,” “On Breeding Stock,” “On Veterinary Medicine,” and “On Sanitary-Epidemiological Safety.”
The Caspian Sea, Border Waters, and the Alat Free Economic Zone
The document precisely distinguishes the specifics of various aquatic and economic zones:
- The Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea: The organization of fisheries, as well as the utilization and protection of aquatic bioresources in this aquatory, will be managed on the basis of international agreements to which Azerbaijan is a party and international legal norms, alongside domestic laws.
- Border water bodies: Activities here will be regulated with a primary focus on normative legal acts concerning the state border.
- Alat Free Economic Zone (AFEZ): All economic and logistical relations in the fishing sector within this special zone will be managed directly in accordance with the requirements of the Law “On the Alat Free Economic Zone.”
Strict Control and Liability: The Old Law Expires
Individuals and legal entities that violate the requirements of the law, including those engaged in illegal fishing (poaching) in violation of environmental standards, will bear direct liability in cases prescribed by legislation.
One of the most critical points is that from the day this new law comes into force, the old Law “On Fisheries” dated March 27, 1998, which currently regulates fishing relations in the country, will be repealed. The new document forms a modern legal framework for the sustainable management of Azerbaijan’s aquatic bioresources and the industrial-scale development of the sector.
