The owner of a small fishing vessel has been fined a total of £15,628 after being prosecuted by the HM Coastguard for operating an unsafe vessel and failing to comply with the small fishing vessel code of practice.
John Lake, director of John Lake Shellfish Ltd of Kings Lynn and owner of the 13-metre fishing vessel ‘Audrey Patricia’, appeared at Kings Lynn Magistrates Court today where he pleaded guilty to both offences. Mr. Lake was fined £4,500 for each offence, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £170 and £6,458 for the cost of the prosecution.
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The vessel had been subject to a pre-arranged inspection by the UK MCA at Boston and had a catalogue of deficiencies related to emergency procedures and lifesaving equipment, which caused the vessel to be detained.
The deficiencies included:
- Emergency drills not being conducted by the crew;
- Liferaft being nearly 4 years beyond its service date;
- Missing and out of date emergency flares;
- Fire extinguishers out of date;
- Insufficient serviceable lifejackets;
- Emergency fuel shut off not working.
MCA Surveyor Matt Turner, who had inspected the vessel, mentioned:
The condition of this vessel, as an operating fishing vessel, was wholly unacceptable. The owner had failed in his responsibility of ensuring the vessel was in a safe condition to put to sea and comply with the small fishing vessel codes of practice. This failure had put the vessel and its crew at unnecessary risk, the consequences of which could have left Mr Lake facing more serious charges.
