In the new draft law “On Fisheries,” discussed in its first reading at the meeting of the Parliament’s (Milli Majlis) Committee on Agrarian Policy, a comprehensive list of rights and duties of fishing entities (entrepreneurs and individuals) has been established.
According to sea-news.az while ensuring the economic freedom of fishers, the draft law imposes strict digital obligations aimed at increasing safety and transparency at sea.
Rights of Fishing Entities
According to the new document, persons engaged in fishing are granted the following rights:
- Complete freedom over products: Freely exercising the rights of ownership, use, and disposal (sale, processing, etc.) over products caught or obtained through aquaculture (artificial breeding);
- Use of infrastructure: Obtaining a fishing permit and utilizing designated fishery areas, as well as water bodies and lands under ownership or lease, for aquaculture purposes;
- Organization: Freely participating in trade unions and other public associations not prohibited by legislation.
Satellite Tracking of Vessels and Other Duties
The draft law simultaneously imposes 16 crucial duties on fishing entities. Among these, digitalization and environmental safety issues come to the forefront:
- Satellite and navigation control: Automatic identification (AIS), satellite-based tracking, and relevant navigation systems must be installed on fishing vessels and kept operational at all times. The relevant executive authority will determine the registration rules for vessels and fishing gear, as well as the list of technical control equipment;
- Digital accounting: Data regarding vessels, utilized fishing gear, as well as the species and volume of fish products brought to market, must be entered into the electronic information system of the relevant state body;
- Environmental prohibitions: Preventing the deterioration of water quality in water bodies, refraining from using legally prohibited fishing gear, and preventing the acclimatization (release into the water) of alien (invasive) fish species that could negatively affect the local ecosystem;
- Aquaculture requirements: Refraining from using fish species not envisioned in the Biotechnological Project Document and feed that does not meet food safety standards;
- Food safety and inspections: Presenting an extract from the Food Safety Registry and a health certificate for imported products upon the request of the state control body, and fully complying with sanitary, veterinary, and quarantine rules;
- Facilitating raids: Complying with the lawful demands of officials conducting inspections, creating suitable conditions for inspections, and executing issued written instructions in a timely manner.
