Fines of €7,000 were imposed on the Master of the fishing vessel Ocean Harvester II, Donal Healy, from Ballyferriter, Co Kerry, at Tralee Circuit Court on the 4th of March 2024. Mr Healy pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to accurately record catches of Haddock in the fishing logbook, detected during a landing inspection by Sea-Fisheries Protection Officers (SFPOs) of the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) on the 13th of August 2019 at Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford. SFPOs detected an under-recording in the logbook, and prior notification of landing of approximately 1,860 kgs of boxed Haddock onboard the fishing vessel Ocean Harvester II, which the Court heard was owned by Inish Trawlers Limited. The Court heard evidence that Haddock is a species subject to an EU multiannual plan, whereby fishing for the species is highly regulated, and is of economic importance in Ireland.
Mr Healy also pleaded guilty to fishing in the southwest Rockall zone, an area regulated by the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission, without an authorisation, between the 14th and 19th of May 2020, onboard the vessel Ocean Harvester II. The Court heard evidence that the total sales figure of the catch for the fishing trip was approximately €13,660.
Imposing a fine of €2,500 in respect of the charge for inaccurate recording of Haddock, and a fine of €4,500 for the charge of fishing without an authorisation, the Court noted the context of these cases being the “close monitoring of fish in Irish waters and the sustainability of fishing.” The Court remarked that fishing “must be done in a vigilant and responsible manner for sustainability” and remarked on the importance of this for Ireland’s fisheries and reputation. The Court emphasised that there is a “societal interest in not overfishing”, and “overfishing damages fish stocks” as well as highlighting that “fishermen suffer detriment from other fishermen’s offending.”
An SFPA spokesperson commented:
“The SFPA notes the convictions resulting from these investigations and welcomes the comments of the Court on the importance of compliance with the regulatory framework to ensure sustainable fishing of stocks for Ireland’s fishing industry. Sustainable fishing is not only important for fishers but for coastal communities. These prosecutions also illustrate the importance of landing inspections and the cross-agency investigative work, having regard to the cooperation with the Irish Naval Service during investigations of suspected breaches of sea-fisheries regulations. Accurate reporting of data by the fishers is key to ensuring the accurate assessment of fish stocks in order to allow for sustainable fishing for the future. The diligent and thorough work of the Sea-Fisheries Protection Officers involved is to be commended.”
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