Definitions

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— (a) "authorized officer" means an officer empowered under section 28; (b) "appellate authority" means an officer empowered under section 29; (c) "empowered officer" means an officer empowered under section 27; (d) "broodstock" means male or female fish or fingerlings or fry or spawn or eggs or larvae or embryos or any other reproductive stage of fish kept for the purpose of breeding; (e) "export" means taking out of fish seed from Kerala to other States or outside the country; (f) "fish farming" means growing or rearing fish or other aquatic animals and aquatic plants in clear or open water systems or in cage or pen systems; (g) "fish farmer" means any person or group of persons or a firm or a society or a company or any legal entity who is engaged in growing or rearing fish or fish farming in own or leased land or pond or reservoir or contained water or any other method; (h) "fish worker" means a person mainly engaged in the operation of fishing for livelihood; (i) "fish seed" means eggs, larvae, embryos or any other stage in the life cycle of fish or other aquatic animals living in water including species of fish living in clear water and brackish water, and shall include,— (i) seeds of finfish growing in clear water, brackish water, and saline water and in reservoirs; (ii) seeds of shellfishes like prawns, shrimps, crabs, big lobsters, lobsters, squids, cuttlefish, etc.; (iii) seeds of fish in the first stage, eggs, prawn, big lobster, lobster, etc. in the larva stage and the post-larva stage, and the larva stages of crab, oyster, etc.; (j) "fish seed quality inspection" means the procedures of fish seed quality inspection to ensure that the seeds are free from transmittable diseases and diseases and maintain the required standard in quality and size; (k) "fish seed quality inspector" means a fish seed quality inspector appointed under section 20; (l) "fish seed farm" means a place having land or structures used for growing fish seed; (m) "fish seed inspector" means a fish seed inspector appointed under section 18; (n) "fish seed laboratory" means a fish seed laboratory established under section 11; (o) "fish seed production" means growing or rearing of own or outside fish or other aquatic animals or aquatic plant seeds in clear or open water system or in clear water or brackish water; (p) "Government" means the Government of Kerala; (q) "hatchery" means a place where eggs are protected and used for fish seed production and is also a place where fish seed is grown for distribution to fish farmers and it includes the part of the farm where broodstock is grown in adjacent hatcheries or nurseries; (r) "import" means bringing fish seed into Kerala from other States or from outside the country; (s) "species" means any of the aquatic animals or aquatic plants belonging to the same category or a group such as crabs, shrimps, prawns, big lobsters, pearl oysters, lobsters, fish, etc. known by any name; (t) "sale" means selling or offering for sale or exchange or any other type of distribution of any fish seed or storing for sale; (u) "notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette; (v) "of the type notified" means any type or category of fish seed notified under section 12; (w) "notified" means notified under the rules made under this Act; (x) "quarantine" means a place intended for monitoring to ensure that the animals and plants are not infected with transmittable diseases before introducing to new conditions or country; (y) "Regional Fish Seed Centre" means a Regional Fish Seed Centre established under section 7; (z) "State Fish Seed Centre" means a State Fish Seed Centre established under section 3; (aa) "sub-centres" means sub-centres established under sub-section (1) of section 10; (ab) "variety" means a sub-division of a type that can be distinguished by size, growth, profit, seed or other characteristics.