{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-fishing-boats-act-1983/section-9",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-fishing-boats-act-1983/section-9.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1983/8",
  "legislation_title": "British Fishing Boats Act 1983",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-fishing-boats-act-1983",
  "path": "section/9",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "9",
  "heading": "Interpretation.",
  "text": "In this Act—\n“British fishing boat” means a fishing vessel which either is registered in the United Kingdom under Part II of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 or is wholly British-owned;\n“British sea-fishery officer” means any person who by virtue of section 7 of the Sea Fisheries Act 1968 is a British sea-fishery officer;\n“fishing boat” means any vessel for the time being employed in fishing operations or any operations ancillary to fishing operations;\n“master” includes, in relation to any fishing boat, the person for the time being in command or charge of the boat;\n“the Ministers” means the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretaries of State respectively concerned with the sea fishing industry in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and\n“relevant British fishery limits” means British fishery limits so far as they do not relate to the Scottish zone;\n“relevant British fishing boat” means a British fishing boat which is not a Scottish fishing boat;\n“Scottish fishing boat” means a fishing vessel which is registered in the register maintained under section 8 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 and whose entry in the register specifies a port in Scotland as the port to which the vessel is to be treated as belonging;\n“the Scottish zone” has the same meaning as it has for the purposes of the Scotland Act 1998;\n“sea fish” includes shellfish, salmon and migratory trout, and “sea fishing industry” has a corresponding meaning;\n“wholly British-owned” means wholly owned by persons qualified to own British ships for the purposes of Part II of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995;\nand references to a restricted fishing area shall be read in accordance with section 1(2) of this Act.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Definition of “British fishing boat” in s. 9 substituted (1.1.1996) by virtue of 1995 c. 21, ss. 314(2), 316(2), Sch. 13 para. 68(a) (with s. 312(1))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 9: definition of “relevant British fishery limits”inserted (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/1820, art. 4, Sch. 2 Pt. I para. 70(3); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 9: definition of “relevant British fishing boat” inserted (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/1820, art. 4, Sch. 2 Pt. I para. 70(3); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 9: definition of “Scottish fishing boat”inserted (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/1820, art. 4, Sch. 2 Pt. I para 70(3); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "S. 9: definition of “the Scottish zone”inserted (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/1820, art. 4, Sch. 2 Pt. I para 70(3); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Definition of “wholly British-owned” in s. 9 inserted (1.1.1996) by 1995 c. 21, ss. 314(2), 316(2), Sch. 13 para. 68(b) (with s. 312(1))"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1968 c. 77."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/8/section/9",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:09:33.130338+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}