The Master of Armaven Tres, a Spanish registered fishing vessel detained by the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA), the sea-fisheries regulator, last Friday (14th May), has been found guilty of under-recording monkfish and fined a total of €9,000. The detention followed a routine inspection by Sea-Fisheries Protection Officers at Castletownbere.
Commenting on the verdict, Dr Steele Chair of SFPA said: “Failure to record catches is a serious offence. Logbook regulations are critical to the effectiveness of quota management and non-compliance creates a clear risk to stock management. The vast majority of fishers operate within the requirements of the EU Common Fisheries Policy. Unfortunately, there are still some who fail to do so. We are committed to detecting all cases of illegal fishing in the interest of protecting our sea-fisheries resources and supporting their sustainable development.”
As the regulator, the SFPA is responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the EU Common Fisheries Policy, ensuring equality and fairness for all fishers and the continued sustainability of Ireland’s valuable marine resources. It monitors all vessels operating within the Irish EEZ electronically with the support of the Naval Service, and reviews and assesses their declared catches for compliance with EU sea-fisheries legislation. Where non-compliances are found, prosecutions may follow as with any incident of non-compliance with the law.
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