This Act, consisting of 546 articles and divided into twenty five parts, provides for the establishment of a comprehensive framework of the legislation concerning registration of ships, regulation of shipping, maintenance of safety at sea. The Act defines interpretation of relevant terms, including: aircraft, cargo ship, crew, duly qualified medical practitioner, employment agreement, fishing vessel, Gambian waters, grain, inland waters, internal waters, machinery, maritime labour certificate, merchant ship, port, restricted zone, security incident, wages, wreck. The Act concerns restriction on trading in Gambian waters; regulates the activity of vessels operating in inland waters; provides for appointment of a registrar of shipping and seafarers, including: qualifications for owning a Gambian ship, application for registration, evidences to be produced, name of the ship, identifying marks for fishing vessels, tonnage measurement of ships, Ministerial powers to make regulations concerning certificates of registration, transfer and transmission of ships, mortgage of ships, maritime liens on vessels related to claims against owners or operators.