Public Market and Slaughterhouse Act (The Bahamas)

Public Market and Slaughterhouse Act

Published: 1947-07-02

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PUBLIC MARKET AND SLAUGHTERHOUSE [CH.240 – 1

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– [Original Service 2001] STATUTE LAW OF THE BAHAMAS

PUBLIC MARKET AND SLAUGHTERHOUSE CHAPTER 240

PUBLIC MARKET AND SLAUGHTERHOUSE

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS SECTION 1. Short title. 2. Interpretation. 3. Public market and slaughterhouse. 4. Control vested in Minister. 5. Powers of Minister. 6. Rules. 7. Officers of Health Department to carry out inspection. 8. Rental of stalls for sale of meat. 9. Duties of supervisor. 10. Offences. 11. Any person may sell in the market subject to the provisions of this Act. 12. Penalties. 13. Leases and licences granted before 7th January, 1964.

PUBLIC MARKET AND SLAUGHTERHOUSE [CH.240 – 3

CHAPTER 240

PUBLIC MARKET AND SLAUGHTERHOUSE An Act relating to the public market and slaughter-

house.

[Commencement 2nd July, 1947.]

1. This Act may be cited as the Public Market and Slaughterhouse Act.

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires — “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 build- ings, 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.

28 of 1947 77 of 1957 G.N. 7(22) of 1964 E.L.A.O., 1974 5 of 1987

Short title.

Interpretation.

E.L.A.O., 1974.

77 of 1957, s. 2. E.L.A.O., 1974.

CH.240 – 4] PUBLIC MARKET AND SLAUGHTERHOUSE

STATUTE LAW OF THE BAHAMAS [Original Service 2001]

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.

(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.

5. It shall be lawful for the Minister to do all or any of the following matters or things —

(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, im- provements and additions to the public market or slaughterhouse as he shall deem necessary and proper;

(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 slaughter- house;

(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 —

(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;

Public market and slaughterhouse. 5 of 1929.

77 of 1957, s. 3.

E.L.A.O., 1974.

Control vested in Minister.

Powers of Minister.

Rules.

PUBLIC MARKET AND SLAUGHTERHOUSE [CH.240 – 5

(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.

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:

Officers of Health Department to carry out inspection.

Ch. 231.

Rental of stalls for sale of meat.

CH.240 – 6] PUBLIC MARKET AND SLAUGHTERHOUSE

STATUTE LAW OF THE BAHAMAS [Original Service 2001]

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 — (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

Duties of supervisor.

PUBLIC MARKET AND SLAUGHTERHOUSE [CH.240 – 7

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 — (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

(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, tin- ware, earthenware, crockery or any other imported manufactured goods of any de- scription; 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

Ch. 231.

Offences.

77 of 1957, s. 4.

E.L.A.O., 1974.

CH.240 – 8] PUBLIC MARKET AND SLAUGHTERHOUSE

STATUTE LAW OF THE BAHAMAS [Original Service 2001]

(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, smok- ing 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.

12. All penalties imposed by this Act shall be recovered in a summary manner and any person commit- ting 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.

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.

Any person may sell in the market subject to the provisions of this Act.

Penalties.

5 of 1987, s. 2.

Leases and licences granted before 7th January, 1964.

G.N. 7(22) of 1964, s. 12.