S.L. 465.10 Art. 17Application for a ship sanitation certificate

(1) Upon receipt by an authorised officer of an application for a ship sanitation certificate in respect of the ship, made in writing by the owner of a ship or by the master acting for or on behalf of the owner -

(a) if the ship is within the area of an authorised port, he shall -

(i) inspect the ship to prevent danger to public health or the spread of infection with a view to issuing a ship sanitation certificate; and view to issuing a ship sanitation certificate, or otherwise take or cause to be taken any steps which he considers necessary to satisfy himself that the ship does not present a danger to public health and is free of infection;

(b) if the ship is not within the area of an authorised port, an authorised officer shall -

(i) consult with a customs officer, and

(ii) direct the ship to proceed at the risk of the owner of the ship to an area of an authorised port which is both convenient to the ship and to the customs officer.

(2) If an authorised officer after he has inspected a ship under sub-regulation (1)(a) is satisfied -

(a) that the ship is exempt from control measures, he shall issue or cause to be issued a Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate, provided he has complied with sub-regulation (3); or

(b) that control measures have been completed to his satisfaction, he shall -

(i) issue or cause to be issued a Ship Sanitation Control Certificate; and

(ii) note or cause to be noted on the certificate the evidence found and the control measures taken.

(3) An authorised officer shall, wherever possible, issue or cause to be issued a Ship Sanitation Control Exemption Certificate only if the inspection of the ship was carried out when the ship and the holds -

(a) were empty, or

(b) contained only ballast or other material of such a nature or so disposed as to make a thorough inspection of the holds possible.