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Fisheries Protection Service​

   History:

The setting up of the Fisheries Protection Service (FPS) began in the year 1947 with the arrival of Mauritian National ex-Servicemen. Then​ the British Government constituted a small team that was paid a minor allowance to control fishing activities around the island.

Ultimately in 1948, the Service was legally established with the enactment of Ordinance No 7 of 1948.

Officers were posted throughout the island and were assigned duties on a full fortnight basis with one weekend off. The labour force at that time constituted of some twenty staff members.

After independence, the need to strengthen the FPS was badly felt.  Accordingly, the Fisheries Act No 22 of 1970 was enacted and the FPS recruited massively. The process continued and in 1983 the labour force of the FPS constituted of more than two hundred staff members.

The Fisheries Laws were subsequently amended with a view to ensuring efficient control and surveillance. The Fisheries Act No 22 of 1970 was subsequently repealed and replaced by the Fisheries Act No 5 of 1980 which in turn was replaced by the Fisheries Act No 22 of 1998 and the last one in force is the Fisheries Act No 27 of 2007. Simultaneously, all these Acts were supported by Regulations under Government Notices.

Nowadays, the FPS is the enforcement arm of the Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping with proper infrastructure, logistic and equipment.  It caters for an efficient control over the fishing activities not only in lagoon and off lagoon but also in respect of regional fishing under bilateral conventions and regional cooperation with joint patrol under the Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (M.C.S) Programme in the EEZ and over territorial waters of the Republic of Mauritius.

    Main Responsibilities:

• Enforcement of Fisheries Legislation to combat illegal fishing, to protect the marine environment and to ensure marketing of fish and fish products safe for human consumption.
• Monitoring of fishing activities for policy decision
• Ensuring safe marketing of fish and fish products at Fish Landing Stations, Sales Points & Fishing Port.
• Collection of fisheries statistics for scientific purposes
• Provision of information on prevailing weather and sea state to Meteorological Services for weather forecast.
• Consultation with fishermen on development projects and other issues relating to Fisheries.
  
     Services Provided:

• Control and surveillance of lagoon and off lagoon fishing
• Issue of fishmonger's licence
• Inspection of fish quality at sales points
• Registration and Issue of fisherman cards
• Registration of fishing boats
• Inspection of fishing vessels for safety and security compliance before authorisation is obtained for fishing trip
• Provision of information related to fisheries sector to stakeholders
• Issue of licence for fishing gear.
• Renewal of large nets, gill nets and bait nets licences
• Payment of bad weather allowance on days declared bad, to registered artisanal fishers
• Payment of close season allowance to net fishers during close period from October to end of February of each year
• Participation in search and rescue exercise at sea
• Sensitisation of fishermen and the public on matters relating to the Fisheries Sector
• Maintain and update data on all registered bank and artisanal  fishermen and boats
  
     Training of Recruits at Police Training School:
  Newly recruited Fisheries Protection have to undergo training with the Police at the Police Training School, Beau Bassin.  The subjects covered amongst others: officer safety, drill and self-defence.
  
     Officers undergoing training in self-defence
  
  
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• ​Passing Out Ceremony at Police Training School
   
  
  
  

 

Contact details:

​Hotline: 8001011

SN	Fisheries Posts/ Units/ Section	Telephone No:	Fax No:
1.	Head Office	2112470-75,  2087961	2087958, 2081929
2.	Grand Gaube (Regional HQ North)	2880894/ 2881134	2880894
3.	Tombeau Bay	2474920	2474920
4.	Trou aux Biches	2657130/ 2655128	2657130
5.	Poudre d'Or	2839676	2839676
6.	Poste Lafayette (Regional HQ East)	4105130	4105130
7.	Trou d'Eau Douce	4802154	4802154
8.	GRSE	4176912	4176912
9.	Mahebourg (Regional HQ South)	6319539/ 6313940	6319539
10.	Blue Bay Marine Park	6312316	6312316
11.	Bambous Virieux	6340092	6340092
12.	Riambel	6255018	6255018
13.	Baie du Cap	6225955	6225955
14.	La Preneuse (Regional HQ West)	4836521	4836521
15.	Case Noyale	4836521	4836521
16.	Pointe aux Sables	2347073	2347073
17.	Prosecution Unit	2124763	2127261
18.	Flying Squads	2124763	2127261
19.	Port State Control Unit	2062830	2062809
20.	Import & Export Section	2062820	2062809

 

Protocol regarding Complaints

One centralised Hotline at Mahebourg Fisheries Post – 8001011

1. Complaints received are screened - whether they fall within the purview of the Fisheries Protection Service.  If yes, try to obtain accurate information from the informer and same channelled to officer in charge of the region concerned.
   
    Simultaneously, same information is passed over to all officers in charge of Flying Squads for any squad nearer to the place of occurrence, to intervene.
   
2.  
3. Any positive result is forwarded to the hotline unit, which in turn will submit the information to the Controller FPS every morning through a written report on the activities of hotline.
   
   
4. In case of no result, instruction issued to Flying Squads and other officers of the region to effect regular patrol in the said spot/region.
   
   If this does not fall under our jurisdiction, information is channeled to NCG and to other relevant competent Authorities, subject to hotline being available.
   
   

Fish Landing Station:

It is a prescribed area near the shore where fishermen land their catch. (Section 20 of the Fisheries & Marine Resources Act 27/2007).

There are 61 prescribed Fish Landing Stations around the island whereby FPS officers monitor the fish quality, quantity and the record of statistics (GN 18 of 1983 and GN 169 of 1984) as listed below:

SN​	Fish Landing Stations	SN	Fish Landing Stations	SN	Fish Landing Stations
1	Grand River North West	21	Poste de Flacq	41	Bambous Virieux
2	Bain des Dames	22	Belle Mare	42	Grand Sables
3	Roches Bois	23	Trou D'eau Douce	43	Petit Sables
4	Baie du Tombeau	24	Morcy	44	Souillac(Battelage)
5	Pointe aux Piments	25	Palmar	45	Riambel
6	Trou aux Biches	26	Grand River South East	46	St Felix
7	Pointe aux Cannonier	27	Camp des Pecheurs	47	Baie du Cap 1
8	Grand Bay	28	Deux Freres	48	Baie du Cap 2
9	Grand Gaube I	29	Quatre Soeurs	49	St Martin
10	Grand Gaube II	30	Mahebourg	50	Baie du Jacotet
11	Melville	31	Ville Noire	51	Le Morne
12	Missie Pitit	32	Grand Port I	52	La Gaulette
13	St Francois	33	Grand Port II	53	Case Noyale
14	Cap Malheureux	34	Blue Bay	54	Petite Riviere Noire
15	Bain des Boeufs	35	Pointe D'Esny	55	La Preneuse
16	Poudre d'Or	36	Le Bouchon	56	Tamarin
17	Roche Noires	37	Rivière des Creoles	57	Black River
18	Pointe des Lascars	38	Anse Jonchée	58	Flic en Flac
19	Bain de Rosnay	39	La Sourdine	59	Albion
20	Poste la Fayette	40	Bois des Amourettes	60	Pointe aux Sables I
				61	Pointe aux Sables II

 

Role of the Fisheries Protection Service in case of emergency.

1. During the cyclone warning flags are hoisted at all the fisheries posts around the island so as to inform the fishermen community as well as the public.
2. Fishermen are warned not to set out at sea and if ever any fisherman is still at sea attempts are made to contact him through phone and in case communication is not possible, the local NCG is informed for necessary action needed.
3. All fishermen are informed to secure their fishing boats and equipment in a safe place and to take other precautions as needed.
4. If a fisherman is lost at sea, NCG is informed for search and rescue operation and necessary assistance is provided by Fisheries Protection Service.
5. Whenever there is a case of fish mortality or water pollution, AFRC is immediately informed as precautionary measures samples of water and fish are collected for analysis and the public is advised not to collect the dead fish.
6. In case of the presence of 'meduses' or red tide in the lagoon, the Fisheries Protection Service will have to inform members of the public not to venture in that area of the lagoon

Summary on the No. of Contraventions:

Year	Total No of Cases Reported	Length of Illegal Nets Seized (metres)
2011	446	7,785
2012	444	10,235
2013	350	12,168
2014	351	20,067
2015	322	16,591
2016	240	8,783
2017	406	7,142
2018	342	5,324
2019	375	18,705

 

 

Illegal fishing articles being disposed of

 

 

 

 

 

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