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MASTER OF FISHING VESSEL PLEADS GUILTY TO SEA-FISHERIES OFFENCES
Master of fishing vessel pleads guilty to sea-fisheries offences of logbook under-recording and landing in a non-designated port. The Master of a fishing vessel, Tony Gill, from Inis Mór, pleaded guilty at Cill Rónáin District Court on the 5th of September 2024 to two charges under sea-fisheries law including the logbook under-recording of Monkfish onboard the fishing vessel “Independence” and landing Monkfish catches at Cleggan, Co Galway. Cleggan is not a designated port for the landing of Monkfish catch weighing 750kgs or more. The Court imposed fines of €800.
The offences were detected on the 31st of May 2023, during an inspection by Sea-Fisheries Protection Officers of the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) of the vessel at Cleggan pier, where a total of 955.26kgs of boxed Monkfish had been landed. Following a cross-check of the recorded weight in the fishing logbook, an under-recording of 595.26kgs of Monkfish was detected. The Court heard evidence that 480kgs of the species Rays had been recorded in the logbook however, on inspection, no catches of Rays were onboard or landed.
An SFPA spokesperson stated:
“The SFPA notes the decision and seriousness attached to these offences by the Court. Accurate data recording in catch documentation by Masters and operators is a key tool in the accurate assessment of stocks in Irish and EU waters. Accurate catch data in EU waters is the basis for calculating sustainable catch limits to avoid depletion of stocks and ensuring a healthy future fish stock for fishing communities. The decision of the Court also highlights the importance of the requirement for certain Monkfish landings to take place in designated ports in order to ensure effective monitoring of Monkfish catches which is necessary for measures to support the sustainability of these stocks. Information on designated ports for landings of certain fish is available on the SFPA website. The SFPA commends the officers involved for the thorough investigation.”
