Chapter I PRELIMINARY

1. (1) This Act may be called the Mizoram Fisheries (Amendment) Act 2022.
2. (2) It shall have the like extend as the Principal Act.
3. (3) It shall come into force on the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:-

1. (a) “closed season” means such period as declared by the Government so that breeding and spawning or migration of fish are not hampered during that period and the fish is allowed to breed at least once in its life time;
2. (b) “economic variety fish” means fishes having good growth, good market value and good acceptability by the consumers both in culture and capture fisheries;
3. (c) “fish” includes finfish, shellfish, turtle and any other aquatic organisms of economic and ecological importance in all stages of its life;
4. (d) “Fishery Officer” means Director of Fisheries and includes any officers serving under the Department of Fisheries or class of officers empowered by the State Government to act as Fishery Officer;
5. (e) “Fish Sanctuary” means water bodies or a portion of the water bodies where fish congregates for certain period of the year either for breeding, migration or any other purposes, as may be notified by the Government;
6. (f) “Fishery Warden” means any person or persons appointed by the Government to discharge duties and exercise power as Fishery Warden for protection and conservation of fishes from unlawful taking, catching and destruction;
7. (g) “fixed engine” means any cage, net, trap or other contrivance for taking fish, fixed in the water/river bed or made stationary in any other way;
8. (h) “Government” means the State Government of Mizoram;
   • (i) “Government Water Bodies” means rivers and its tributaries within the State of Mizoram, including all impoundment for the purpose of generating Hydro-electricity, Irrigation, Water Harvesting Dam or any impoundment, ponds, tank, natural lake, fish sanctuary and derelict impoundment which does not fall under private waters;
9. (j) “Indigenous fishes” means the variety/species naturally available in the water bodies within the State;
10. (k) “Official Gazette” means the Mizoram Gazette;
11. (l) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
12. (m) “Private Water” means any water-
    • (i) which is the exclusive property of any private person, or
    • (ii) in which any person has, for the time being, an exclusive right of fishery, whether as an owner, lessee, or in any other capacity;
    • (iii) but does not include any river, canal, stream or any other piece of water which has direct linkage with any river, rivulet, canal or stream; Explanation: Water shall not cease to be “private water” by means only of the fact that a person other than the owner thereof may have by custom a right of fishery therein;
13. (n) “Schedule” means schedule appended to this Act.