Registration of fishing vessels.

(1) No owner of a vessel other than a fishing vessel registered under section 11 of the Marine Products Export Development Authority Act, 1972, shall use or cause to be used for the purposes of fishing in the specified area, unless such vessel is registered as a fishing vessel under this Regulation. (2) Every application for registration of a vessel as a fishing vessel shall be made by the owner thereof to the authorised officer in such form and in such manner and shall be accompanied by such fees, as may be prescribed,- (a) before the expiry of one month from the date on which he became the owner of such vessels; or (b) before the expiry of three months from the commencement of this Regulation, whichever is later: Provided that the authorised officer may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, extend the time limit for registration by such period or periods not exceeding six months at a time, as he may think fit. (3) The authorised officer shall assign a registration number to the vessel and issue to the owner of the vessel registered by him a certificate of registration in the prescribed form and shall enter the particulars of the certificate in the register to be kept by him in such form as may be prescribed: Provided that the authorised officer may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, refuse to register the vessel. (4) The registration once made shall continue to be in force until it is cancelled by the authorised officer. (5) Every vessel registered under this section shall carry the registration mark assigned to it by the authorised officer and such mark shall be displayed on the vessel in the prescribed manner: (6) No vessel, other than a registered fishing vessel, shall be entitled to apply for a licence under section 6.