Zambia

15. (1) A person shall not— (a) use, or have in that person's possession, any explosive or firearm for fishing; (b) possess, use, attempt or cause to be used for fishing, any trawl net or bottom drag net or other fishing net of similar nature; (c) alter or interfere with the natural configuration of the terrain or cause any such alteration or interference in such a manner as to enable the isolation from the main water of any fish in subsidiary water, whether or not such isolation takes place immediately or through the natural rise or fall of the water; (d) fish by means of any net towed through the water behind or between boats, or by driving or directing fish towards a stationary net; (e) set any net across the width of any river, channel or lagoon, measured from bank to bank; (f) permit to be used, use, or attempt to use any poison or other noxious substance for the purpose of killing, stunning, injuring, disabling or catching fish, or in any way rendering fish more easily caught; (g) carry or have in that person's possession or control any explosive, firearm, poison, chemical or other noxious substance in circumstances indicating an intention of using such substance for any of the purposes referred to in paragraph (f); (h) use any electrical device for fishing or carry or have in that person's possession or control, or have on board any conveyance, an electrical device in circumstances which indicate an intention to use it for fishing; (i) use equipment for fishing which does not conform to any standard prescribed for that type of fishing equipment, including any net or trap the mesh size of which does not conform to the prescribed minimum mesh size for that type of net or trap either generally or in a prescribed area; (j) use any weir or fishing equipment which is prohibited under this Act; or (k) use for fishing, fishing nets that are of a number and size exceeding that which is permitted under this Act. (2) Any explosive, firearm, poison, chemical or other noxious substance found in or on any person, fishing boat, or fishing equipment in a commercial fishing area shall be presumed, unless the contrary is proved, to be intended for the purposes referred to in subsection (1). (3) A person who contravenes this section commits an offence and is liable, upon conviction, to a fine not exceeding three hundred thousand penalty units or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years, or to both.

14. (1) The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, impose any of the following measures: (a) closed seasons for designated areas, species of fish or methods of fishing; (b) prohibited fishing areas for all or designated species of fish or methods of fishing; (c) limitations on the methods or fishing gear, including mesh sizes of nets, that may be used for fishing; (d) limitations on the amount, size, age and other characteristics and species or composition of species of fish that may be caught, landed or traded; (e) regulate the landing of fish and provide for the management of fish landing areas; (f) control the introduction into, or harvesting or removal from any fishery waters of any acquatic plant; and (g) any other measures that are necessary for the proper management of fishery. (2) Where the use of any fishing gear is prohibited in any area, the Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, prohibit the possession of the fishing gear in that area.

27. Except as otherwise provided by this Act, any person who, without a fishing licence, fishes in any fisheries management area commits an offence and is liable, upon conviction, to a fine not exceeding three hundred thousand penalty units or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years, or to both.

(2) A person shall not, in a fisheries reserve declared under subsection (1), without the written permission of the Director— (a) engage in any activity for fishing; or (b) dredge or extract any material or discharge or deposit any waste or other polluting matter or in any other way destroy, disturb or interfere with the natural environment of fish and related ecosystems.

"fish" means any vertebrate fish alive or dead and any part thereof, whether or not preserved in any form, and includes fin, shell fish, the young and eggs but does not include a genetically modified organism; ... "fishing" includes any act directed at or intended for the harvesting, taking, killing or injuring of any fish; "fishing gear" means any instrument, equipment, net, cork, buoy or other article including any part thereof used for purposes of fish finding, congregating fish or fishing; ... "fishery waters" means water in any river, stream, watercourse, lake, lagoon, swamp, pond, dam or reservoir, whether natural or man-made, but does not include water in aquaria or ornamental ponds unconnected with any natural water;