CHAPTER
240
PUBLIC MARKET AND SLAUGHTERHOUSE |
ARRANGEMENT OF
SECTIONS |
SECTION |
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Public market and slaughterhouse. |
Control vested in Minister. |
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Officers of Health Department to carry out
inspection. |
Rental of stalls for sale of meat. |
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Any person may sell in the market subject to the
provisions of this Act. |
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Leases and licences granted before 7th January,
1964. |
CHAPTER 240 |
PUBLIC MARKET AND
SLAUGHTERHOUSE |
An Act
relating to the public market and slaughterhouse. | 28 of 1947
77 of 1957
G.N. 7(22)/1964
E.L.A.O., 1974
5 of 1987 |
[Commencement 2nd
July, 1947.] |
1. This Act may be cited as the Public Market and
Slaughterhouse Act. | Short title. |
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires- | Interpretation. |
"butcher's
meat" means and includes beef, mutton, veal, lamb, pork, kid and the meat
of any other animal slaughtered for the purpose of sale; |
"district of
Nassau" means that portion of the Island of New Providence bounded on the
north by the Harbour of Nassau; on the east by Village Road; on the west by
Nassau Street and a line continued in a southwardly direction from the southern
end of Nassau Street until it reaches the southern boundary and on the south by
Wulff Road and a line continued in a westwardly direction from the western end
of Wulff Road until it reaches the western boundary; |
"Minister"
means the Minister responsible for Public Markets and Slaughterhouses; |
"public
market" means the public market established under the provisions of this
Act for the sale of marketable commodities, and includes all buildings, sheds,
covered and open spaces and grounds connected therewith; |
"slaughterhouse"
means any place in The Bahamas declared by Order to
be such by the Minister under section 3 of this Act; |
"supervisor"
means the supervisor of the public market or of the slaughterhouse, as the case
may be. |
3. (1) The public market in the City of Nassau
established under the authority of the Public Markets and
Slaughterhouses Act, 1929 shall be deemed to be established under this Act. | Public market and slaughterhouse. |
(2)
The Minister may by Order declare any place in The Bahamas to be a
slaughterhouse for the purpose of this Act and may define the limits thereof. |
4. The superintendence of the public market and
slaughterhouse shall be vested in the Minister. | Control vested in Minister. |
5. It shall be lawful for the Minister to do all or any
of the following matters or things- | Powers of Minister. |
(a) to purchase
out of public funds, all such measures, scales and weights, furnishings and
appliances as shall be necessary for the public market or slaughterhouse; |
(b) to make or
cause to be made and paid for out of public funds all such repairs,
alterations, improvements and additions to the public market or slaughterhouse
as he shall deem necessary and proper; |
(c) to grant
and issue licences for the sale of butcher's meat; |
(d) to grant
permits for the sale of fish, poultry, wild fowl, eggs, grain, vegetables,
fruit and other products of The Bahamas, whether natural or manufactured, in
the public market; |
(e) to employ
out of public funds slaughterers for the slaughtering of animals in the
slaughterhouse; |
(f) to revoke
any licence or permit for improper conduct; or for infringement of this Act or
for disobedience of any rule made thereunder. |
6. The Minister may make rules in respect of all or any
of the following matters- | Rules. |
(a) the
government, use and efficient supervision of the public market and
slaughterhouse and the duties of the supervisor; |
(b) the feeding
and watering of animals taken to the slaughterhouse; |
(c) the days
and hours during which any public market or slaughterhouse shall be kept open; |
(d) the rates
to be charged for stallage, crawlage, slaughterage, and otherwise, and the
fees, if any, payable for any licence issued or permit granted and for the
rental of any stall; |
(e) regulating
the inspection of any shop licensed under this Act and any butcher's meat
exposed or intended to be exposed or offered for sale therein; |
(f) the
maintenance of order and quiet in the public market or slaughterhouse and the
prevention of shouting, singing and smoking and of any disturbance therein; |
(g) the
inspection by his own officers or employees or by a public medical officer or
the sanitary inspector or other competent officer or servant of the Health
Department of animals brought to and the carcasses of animals slaughtered at
the slaughterhouse and all articles of food exposed or offered for sale in the
public market, the seizure and detention of any such animal, carcass or
articles of food found to be diseased, and the reporting thereof to the
sanitary inspector; |
(h) the renting
of measures belonging to the Minister to the vendors of grain in the public
market and prescribing the fees payable therefor; |
(i) the
cleaning and keeping clean of the public market and slaughterhouse; and |
(j) generally
for giving effect to the objects and provisions of this Act. |
7. It shall be the duty of a public medical officer,
the sanitary inspector or other competent officer or servant of the Health
Department to carry out all inspections of animals, and articles of food at the
public market or slaughterhouse in accordance with the rules made under this
Act or the
Health Services Act. | Officers of Health Department to carry out inspection. |
8. (1) The several stalls and blocks in the portion of
the public market in the City of Nassau, used for the sale of meat, may be leased
by the Minister to such person or persons at such times and for such period or
periods, not exceeding five years at any one time, as the Minister may think
fit: | Rental of stalls for sale of meat. |
Provided that- |
(a) no person
shall be permitted to lease more than one of such stalls and blocks at the same
time; |
(b) no lessee
of any stall or block shall assign the lease to any other person or permit the
use of any stall or block by any other person without the written permission of
the Minister; |
(c) if any
lessee fails to use the stall and block leased by him at least twice in any one
week for the sale of fresh meat the Minister may in his discretion forfeit his
right to such stall and block, and on such forfeiture the same may be leased
for the unexpired term of the original lease or any part of such unexpired
term. |
(2) Any lease
granted by the Minister under the authority of subsection (1) of this section
may be revoked by the Minister on reasonable notice in writing being given to
the lessee. |
9. It shall be the duty of the supervisor- | Duties of supervisor. |
(a) to give
constant attendance in the market or slaughterhouse during the hours fixed for
keeping open the same; |
(b) to have the
custody of and keep in good and proper order all measures, scales, weights and
appliances furnished by the Minister for use in the public market or
slaughterhouse; |
(c) to inspect
and test all measures, scales, weights and appliances used by butchers and
other persons dealing in or using for business purposes the public market or
slaughterhouse, and if any such measures, scales, weights or appliances are in
his opinion false or defective to seize the same and report the facts to the
Minister and to the Commissioner of Police; |
(d) to inspect
all turtle cut up for sale in the public market; |
(e) to inspect
all butcher's meat, fish, vegetables and all other articles of food whatsoever
exposed or offered for sale in the public market and, if in his opinion the
same are diseased, unwholesome or unfit for human consumption, immediately to
report the fact to the sanitary inspector and to seize the same pending any
action under the provisions of the Health Services Act; |
(f) to ask,
demand, receive, collect and recover all rates and dues and other moneys liable
to be demanded, received, collected and recovered under the provisions of this
Act; |
(g) to keep a
detailed cash account book in which entries shall be made of all moneys
received by him under the authority of this Act showing from whom and for what
purpose such moneys are received, and to furnish weekly to the Treasurer a fair
copy of such account and to pay weekly to the Treasurer any moneys so received
by him under the authority of this Act; |
(h) generally
to carry out and enforce the provisions of this Act and any rules made
thereunder, and to act in obedience to the orders of the Minister. |
10. Any person who- | Offences. |
(a) sells,
exposes or offers for sale in the public market, any butcher's meat without
having obtained a licence for the purpose from the Minister; or |
(b) sells,
exposes or offers for sale any article in the public market, otherwise than in
accordance with the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder; or |
(c) in the
public market, exposes or offers for sale or sells any of the following
articles or things- |
(i) ale,
wine, malt or spirituous liquors of any description or any admixture thereof;
or |
(ii) dry,
salted or pickled meats or fish not the product of The Bahamas; or |
(iii) dry
goods, haberdashery, hardware, tinware, earthenware, crockery or any other
imported manufactured goods of any description; or |
(d) within
the district of Nassau, except in any slaughterhouse declared by Order to be
such by the Minister
under section 3 of this Act, kills any animal whatsoever, the meat of which is
intended for sale; or |
(e) within the
district of Nassau introduces, exposes for sale or sells the meat of any animal
which has not been slaughtered in the slaughterhouse: |
Provided
that this subsection shall not apply to preserved or salted meats or to meats
brought to the Port of Nassau in ice; or |
(f) within New
Providence sells, exposes or offers for sale any butcher's meat except in a
shop for which a licence has been so granted and issued by the Minister; or |
(g) obstructs
or opposes any officer or employee of the Government in the execution of his
duty under this Act or the rules made thereunder; or |
(h) creates or
causes any disturbance in the public market or slaughterhouse or at or near the
same during the hours when the same is open, or disturbs the quiet and good
order of the same by offering any article for sale in a loud voice to attract
customers or by shouting, singing, smoking or screaming therein, or in any
other manner, |
shall be
guilty of an offence against this Act. |
11. Subject to the provisions of this Act and of any
rules made thereunder any person may expose and offer for sale and sell
butcher's meat, fish, poultry, wild fowl, eggs, grain, vegetables, fruit and
other products of The Bahamas, whether natural or manufactured, in the public
market during the times when such market shall be open. | Any person may sell in the market subject to the
provisions of this Act. |
12. All penalties imposed by this Act shall be
recovered in a summary manner and any person committing an offence against the
provisions of this Act or of any rules made thereunder shall be liable on
summary conviction to a fine of one hundred dollars. | Penalties. |
13. Nothing in this Act contained shall affect any
lease of a stall or block in the public market or any licence for the sale of
butcher's meat that was valid and subsisting immediately prior to the seventh
day of January, 1964, granted by the Agriculture and Marine Products
Board (abolished on the said date) and any such lease or licence shall be
deemed to have been granted by the Minister for the unexpired term thereof
under the provisions of this Act. | Leases and licences granted before 7th January, 1964. |