National Parks and Reserves Act 1974. Country/Territory Samoa Document type Legislation Date 1974 Source FAO, FAOLEX Long titleAn Act to provide for the establishment, preservation, and administration of national parks and reserves for the benefit of the people of Western Samoa. Subject Wild species & ecosystems Keyword Protected area Institution Offences/penalties National parks Marine protected areas Geographical area Asia and the Pacific, Oceania, Polynesia, Small Island Developing States, South Pacific Abstract This Act shall be administered by the Department of Agriculture Forests and Fisheries, under the control of the Minister of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries. The Head of State may, by Order, establish national parks under section 4. No such Order may be revoked otherwise than by Act of Parliament. Section 5 prescribes directives for the administering of national parks. The Head of State, acting on the advice of Cabinet, may from time to time by Order declare any public land, or any area of the territorial sea, that is not set aside for any other public purpose, to be a nature reserve for the protection, conservation, and management of flora, fauna, or aquatic life, or the habitat of fauna or aquatic life. The Minister may restrict or prohibit activities in a reserve pursuant to section 6. The declaration of any area of the territorial sea to be a nature reserve shall not affect the customary fishing rights of any person or persons in respect of that area. The Head of State may further declare recreational reserves, historic reserves and reserves for any other specified purpose or purposes. (13 sections) Full text English Website www.mnre.gov.ws