Master and vessel owner are ordered to pay £15,624 for fisheries offences. The hearing was conducted on January 8, at Plymouth Magistrates Court in a prosecution that was brought by the Marine Management Organisation, MMO. Two charges were brought before court concerning exceeding monthly quota limits. In addition, the defendants pleaded guilty to both charges.
Mainly, Kindred Spirit is a 13 meter stern trawler that belongs to Roger Klyne and is skippered by Stephen Fisher.
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The court was informed that the vessel had over-fished its non-sector quota for anglerfish in both July and August 2017. The total value of the overfish was £10,575.44.
Additonally, Mr Klyne was fined £10.000, ordered to pay the amount of £3,014.74 in costs and a victim surcharge of £170.
Moreover, Mr Fisher was fined £2,400 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £40.
According to MMO’s spokesperson, in cases of this kind MMO always takes the action needed, including prosecution, making sure offenders from illegal activities will not gain any profits and protect fish stocks for the wider fishing industry and future generations.
Concluding, the spokesman continued that the court set a amount of fines, since it wanted to make it clear that it should not be cheaper to offend than to comply with the law.
