Agree, The 1997 Law does not define "Fishing Vessel". There is also a 2003 revision I have never found or read. What is stated is the requirement for any "fishing license" to be attached to a registered fishing vessel.

"After a vessel has been registered or at the same time as an application is submitted for registration, an application may be submitted to the Chief Conservation and Fisheries Officer for a local fishing licence, which application shall be in Form 4 of Schedule 1.

"No local fishing licence shall be granted unless the vessel to which it relates qualifies as a local fishing vessel as defined in section 2 of the Act.""

The chicken or egg is clear in the law. First you register the boat, only then can you register(license) anyone to fish from that boat specifically including those fishing under (3) "A pleasure fishing licence shall entitle the licensee to fish for personal consumption up to a maximum of 30 pounds per boat."

Certainly not easy to do business with!

If you continue to the fee schedules that go with the "Pleasure Fishing License" it does make sense. The fees we pay for our "pleasure fishing licenses" are determined based on the size, flag, and base of the actual boat. The fees for a less than 26 foot BVI boat based in the BVI would be $45. The fees for a 45ft US Flagged boat running out of St. Thomas would be $300. The numbers are all over the chart using the three variables (size,flag,base).

I have championed for a long time for the BVI powers that be to determine what they want visitors doing on boats and then including all those activities under a single simple cruising permit fee.

Maybe as the fees and charges go up that will happen. Here is a cut and paste from a recent local press article:

“Our expectations are, that in combination with the measures taken, we are projecting total additional revenue of $26.2M,” Premier Smith announced.

"Government also plans to introduce an environmental levy and to harmonise the existing fee and tax structure for hotels and yachts. There are plans to also review and revise the current marine fees structure by consolidating existing fees and creating a collection system."

At the end of the day the BVI leadership has determined they must increase revenues that add up to $600-$900 per resident. The current approach is to pass much of that onto the boat people somehow.