Section 231: Port clearances

231. Port clearances (1) No ship shall leave a Port unless the master of the ship has obtained, not later than 2 hours before the expected time of departure, a port clearance from the Director. (2) Where the master of a ship obtains a port clearance and does not sail within 12 hours of the expected time of departure, he shall report to the Director his reasons for not sailing and obtain a fresh port clearance. (3) The Director shall not issue a port clearance for a ship until the master of the ship, if so required, produces the certificate of registration of the ship and declares to him— (a) the name of the country to which the ship belongs; and (b) whether or not a detention order for the ship is in force. (4) Where the Director is satisfied that— (a) a person engaged on board a Mauritius ship; (b) a Mauritius citizen engaged on board a foreign ship; or (c) a seafarer engaged on a foreign ship, has not been paid any wages due to him, or, in the case of any seafarer engaged on a foreign ship, that arrangements have not been made for his repatriation to his home port, the Director may refuse to issue a port clearance unless the wages are paid, or the necessary arrangements for the repatriation of the seafarer have been made, or the owner or master of the ship furnishes adequate security to the satisfaction of the Director, for the payment of the wages claimed to be unpaid or the repatriation costs.