Press release
Marine and Fisheries Agency (Communications)
Area 6C, 3-8 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HH
Tel: 020 7270 1985
Date: 25/07/2008 Reference: 10/08
UK Super Scallopers Who Showed Indifference to the Rules Get Big Penalties
Scott Trawlers - operators of some of the UK's biggest scallop dredgers - showed indifference to EU fishing laws and the Marine and Fisheries Agency which enforce them, a court heard.
Scott Trawlers of Peterhead, Scotland, and the skipper of high-tech scallop vessel Vertrouwen, William Anderson, 31, of Glebe Court Annan, Scotland were ordered to pay a total of £31,393 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to 17 fishery offences at Brighton Magistrates on July 17th.
David Buck, prosecuting for the MFA, said fishery officers had been denied the opportunity three times to inspect the Vertrouwen in port at Shoreham, raising concerns about by-catch and undersize scallops.
And when landing declarations were submitted four months later they were only an addition of the skipper's estimate, not a true and accurate figure of quantities landed as required by law.
"So in reality we have no idea how much, or what was landed by the Vertrouwen on these occasions," Mr Buck told the court.
Scott Trawlers has a turnover of £3 million a year with the Vertrouwen, which was landing into Shoreham and Newhaven at the time of the offence, turning over £500,000, the court was told.
Mr. Buck said Scott Trawlers had shown indifference to the MFA and the legislation. Despite repeated requests and attempts via phone, e-mail and fax by the investigating officer to obtain landing declarations, the company had failed to supply material in a timely fashion.
Scott Trawlers and skipper Anderson both faced three charges of failing to notify arrival in port amounting to £40,000 worth of scallops and 14 charges of failing to submit a landing declaration within 48 hours of a arrival in port.
Defending, Andrew Mr Coish denied Scott Trawlers were indifferent to the matter and wanted to comply. They had created a manual for their skippers. He said the company had a close working relationship with the MFA's Plymouth office.
The Chair of the Bench said the matters were considered particularly seriously in the light of the persistency of the offending.
Scott Trawlers were fined a total of £18,622 for the 14 offences of failing to submit a landing declaration within 48 hours and £6,000 for three offences of failing to provide four hours notice of arrival in port. There was a victim surcharge of 15, legal costs of £2,820, and investigation costs of £2,2385.
Skipper Anderson was fined a total of £1,496 for the same offences and a victim surcharge of £15.
Notes to Editors
The Marine and Fisheries Agency is an executive agency of Defra which is tasked with service delivery, inspection, and enforcement of the fishing industry and other marine users in England and Wales.
The MFA has overall responsibility for the enforcement of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and its associated regulations within the 60,000 square miles of English and Welsh waters.
Any vessel, regardless of size or nationality, fishing in British waters is subject to inspection which is designed to conserve fish stocks and protect the interests of the fishing industry as a whole.
MFA's key objectives are:
- to be a key partner in the management of marine fisheries
- to enforce regulations, professionally, consistently and fairly
- to contribute to the sustainable use of the marine environment
- to provide specialist information to inform the development of policy and its effective implementation.
MFA press contact: Peter Hooley 0207-270-1985 / 07771-505-655