Bernard Helgouarch, with an address in France, and Master of the French registered sea-fishing vessel “Sister Clare”, was convicted and fined at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on the 21st of May 2026, for offences arising from the inspection and subsequent detention of the vessel at Castletownbere Port, Co. Cork in June 2025.
The Court heard evidence that during an inspection of the vessel, measurements were taken of the fishing net square mesh panels which resulted in average measurements ranging between 116mm and 123mm, when the requirement is for a 300mm square mesh panel during the fishing operation for Nephrops norvegicus, also known as Norway lobster. Evidence was given of the reasons for these requirements including that under-sized juvenile species can escape the nets. The Court heard the non-compliance with the mesh size requirements was a significant infringement of the Common Fisheries Policy rules given the volume of the undersized fish that could be caught.
A further guilty plea was entered for the offence of failing to have gear retrieval equipment onboard following the detection that gear had been lost at sea but had not been retrieved.
On inspection of the boxed catches of Norway lobster, officers detected that the fishing area of the catches was incorrectly labelled on the boxes. The Court heard that accurate labelling is a requirement to show the source of food and for traceability. A guilty plea was also entered for an offence of failing to accurately record catches in the stowage plan onboard.
The Court made an order of forfeiture of the catch and gear in the sum of €63,000. The Court imposed a conviction and fine of €15,000 for the offence of use of non-compliant gear and an €8,000 fine for failure to have gear retrieval equipment onboard. The Court imposed a conviction and fine of €2,000 for the offence of incorrect information on the labels of the boxed catch.
In reaching its decision, the Court remarked that it was “concerned with leaving gear in the sea, as it is terrible for marine life caught in it and it could stay there for a long time”. Dealing with the non-compliant gear offence, the Court stated that it is “a serious offence…and the Court takes it seriously”.
A SFPA spokesperson commented:
“The SFPA notes the seriousness attached to this matter by the Court. The regulation of mesh dimensions in fishing gear is a key tool in control measures for the sustainable management of fish stocks under the Common Fisheries Policy, which allows for the recovery of fish stocks and the sustainable fishing of such stocks by the fishing community. Such measures ensure that stocks of juvenile catches survive and develop and also tackle the risk of illegal discards of unwanted catches including dead fish.
The SFPA notes the concern of the Court with respect to lost fishing gear and the subsequent damage that can be caused to marine ecosystems. Operators must ensure measures are taken to retrieve and report lost fishing gear and are required to have gear retrieval equipment onboard.
Traceability and accuracy in relation to the presentation of information on catch area of fish is key to consumer confidence and food safety. This case serves as a reminder of the seriousness of failing to accurately record catches on box labels. The SFPA commends the Sea-Fisheries Protection Officers and members of An Garda Síochána involved in the investigation and subsequent detention.”
ENDS
About the SFPA
The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) is the independent statutory body responsible for the regulation of the sea-fisheries and the sea-food production sectors. It promotes compliance with the EU Common Fisheries Policy, sea-fisheries law and food safety law relating to fish and fish products, verifies compliance and, where necessary, enforces it. Its mandate covers all fishing vessels operating within Ireland’s 200-mile limit, over 2,000 Irish registered fishing vessels wherever they operate, and all seafood produced in Ireland’s seafood processing companies. The SFPA operates through a network of regional port offices situated at Ireland’s main fishery harbours. For further information visit: www.sfpa.ie