The owner and the Master of every fishing vessel shall ensure that there is employed on the vessel in their appropriate capacities the number and description of appropriately certificated ratings specified in the applicable item of the following table:

Where a combination of ratings qualified as ordinary seafarer deck (fishing) and as able seafarer deck (fishing) is employed in the deck department, at least half the combined number of ratings so employed shall be qualified as able seafarer deck (fishing) except that for vessels < 24m this combination may be two ordinary seafarers until four years after the coming into force of these regulations.