MASTER OF FRENCH REGISTERED FISHING VESSEL SENT FORWARD FOR TRIAL

Master of French registered fishing vessel sent forward for trial. A Spanish resident and master of the French registered fishing vessel, “Puenteareas Uno”, appeared before Bandon District Court on October 17^th 2025 charged with an alleged offence of failing to retain quota fish species onboard in contravention of the Landing Obligation.

The alleged offence was detected on the 15th of October 2025, during an at-sea inspection of the vessel by a Sea-Fisheries Protection Officer of the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and inspectors attached to the European Fisheries Control Agency’s (EFCA’s) patrol vessel ‘Ocean Guardian’, in the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone. The vessel was escorted to Castletownbere port and detained. The Director of Public Prosecutions directed the case proceed on indictment in the Circuit Court.

The fishing master was served with the Book of Evidence at Bandon District Court and sent forward for trial to the next sitting of Cork Circuit Criminal Court. The Court ordered that the vessel may be released from detention if a cash lodgement in the sum of €130,000 is made for the purposes of a bond. The bond has been taken up and the vessel released from detention.

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