Section 126: Carriage of grain

126. Carriage of grain (1) A cargo ship carrying grain shall comply with the requirements of the International Grain Code. M62 – 63 [Issue 2] Merchant Shipping Act (2) Without prejudice to subsection (1) or any other requirement of this Act, the master or owner of every ship shall ensure that— (a) a ship loading grain complies with the International Grain Code; and (b) (i) in the case of a foreign ship, the ship has on board a document of authorisation as required under the International Grain Code; (ii) in the case of a Mauritius ship, the ship has on board a document of authorisation issued by or on behalf of the Ministry. (3) Except for stress of weather or any other circumstance that neither the master, owner nor charterer, if any, could have prevented or forestalled, neither the owner nor the master shall permit a ship loaded with grain in bulk outside Mauritius to enter a Port so laden unless the ship has been laden in accordance with the International Grain Code. (4) No person shall order the commencement of the loading of grain on a ship in Mauritius unless he is satisfied that— (a) the ship has on board a document as referred to in subsection (2) (b); or (b) where there is no document of authorisation on board, the master has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Director that the ship, will, in its proposed loading condition, comply with the requirements of the International Grain Code and has obtained from the administration where the ship is registered, a certified document to this effect.