B and M Fishing Llp blamed rushed riddling process
A fishing company from Lancashire has been fined £20,000 after admitting catching more than 4,000 undersized whelks in Manx waters.
B and M Fishing LLp, based in Fleetwood, was sentenced at Douglas Courthouse after previously admitting landing sea fish that were too small on or about 22 November last year.
Fisheries officers from the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture boarded the company’s vessel ‘Julie Ann’ whilst it was fishing near the Point of Ayre.
They found 43 sacks containing 21,513 whelks – 19.5 per cent of the catch was found to be undersized; a mistake the company attributed to its crew members rushing the riddling process.
The court heard the skipper of the vessel had previously been convicted of the same offence and was fined £35,000 which the company paid.
B and M Fishing LLp’s advocate described the incident as an ‘unfortunate episode’ adding: “Once a vessel leaves the shore any constant monitoring is difficult.”
Ordering the company to pay prosecution costs of £125 High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said it was clear that several undersized whelks ‘literally fell through the net’.
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