Any person authorized thereto by the Authority and any member of the South African Police Service or of the South African National Defence Force may go on board any ship or tanker in any part of the prohibited area to ascertain whether any document required by the Marine Pollution Acts to be carried on board such ship or tanker is so carried on board or, if he has reasonable grounds for believing that any provision of those Acts has been or is being contravened in connection with such ship or tanker, may so go on board and inspect such ship or tanker or any part or cargo thereof, inspect and make copies of any documents or records kept in respect of such ship or tanker or in respect of its cargo or the harmful substances on board thereof, take samples of any harmful substance on board such ship or tanker, take soundings of tanks, spaces and bilges and test any equipment on board such ship or tanker which is intended for use in preventing a discharge of harmful substances from such ship or tanker.

[Section 7 substituted by section 33 of Act No. 23 of 1997]