Appeals against orders refusing grant of licence etc.

(1) Any person aggrieved by an order of an authorised officer refusing to grant licence for a fishing vessel or a fishing net or cancelling, suspending or varying or amending such licence or refusing to register a vessel or cancelling the registration of such vessel may, within thirty days from the date on which the order is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to such authority as may be prescribed (hereinafter in this section referred to as the Appellate Authority): Provided that the Appellate Authority may entertain the appeal after the expiry of the said period of thirty days if it is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.

(2) On receipt of an appeal under sub-section (1), the Appellate Authority shall, after giving the appellant a reasonable opportunity of being heard, pass such orders thereon as it deems fit as expeditiously as possible.

(3) Every order passed by the Appellate Authority under this section shall be final.