Prescribed Penalties

Article 16 of the law stipulates:

“Anyone who violates the provisions of Article (13) of this law shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not less than six months and not exceeding two years, and a fine not less than five hundred Egyptian pounds and not exceeding one thousand Egyptian pounds.

In all cases, the boats and fishing equipment found at the site of the violation shall be seized. The illegally caught fish shall also be confiscated and sold, and a ruling shall be issued for the confiscation of the seized items or their value for the benefit of the General Authority for Fish Resources Development. The violation shall be administratively removed at the violator’s expense. In the case of repetition, the penalty shall be doubled.”

Article 54 also states:

“Anyone who violates the provisions of Article (9) of this law, and anyone who practices fishing or uses a boat without a license, shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months, or by a fine not exceeding fifty Egyptian pounds, or by one of these two penalties.

The boats, tools used, and the caught fish shall be seized. A ruling shall be issued for the confiscation of these tools and the value of the fish for the benefit of the General Authority for Fish Resources Development. In all cases, the convicted person shall pay double the annual fees prescribed for the period during which the boat operated without a license.”

Article 55 states:

“Anyone who violates the provisions of Articles 7, 10, 16, 17, 18, and 19 of this law shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not less than three months and not exceeding six months, and a fine not less than one hundred Egyptian pounds and not exceeding five hundred Egyptian pounds, or by one of these two penalties.

In case of repetition, the penalty shall be doubled. The fishing equipment, fish, and weighing devices in the possession of the violator shall be seized, and a ruling shall be issued for the confiscation of these tools and the value of the fish for the benefit of the General Authority for Fish Resources Development.”

Legislation for the Protection of the Nile River and Waterways

(Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources)

Introduction

The Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources has primary jurisdiction over the waters of the Nile River in terms of preserving their natural and chemical characteristics and protecting them from biological changes. It is also responsible for ensuring proper distribution and use of water, as well as drainage operations in a manner that preserves agricultural soil.

Several laws and decisions address these matters. However, what concerns this report is Law No. 48 of 1982 and its executive regulations regarding the protection of the Nile River and waterways from pollution.