Skipper, Andrew Hill, of Woodingdean, Brighton, and owner Peter Leach, of Leach Fishing Enterprises, Portslade, Brighton, pleaded guilty to two offences of fishing with a strengthening bags which reduced the mesh size of both port and starboard cod ends.
The case, brought by the Marine and Fisheries Agency, at Brighton Magistrates on September 10, was the result of a joint sea patrol of the Eastern channel by the MFA and the Environment Agency using an EA RIB.
The Lauren Anne was boarded and inspected as she fished for sole and plaice two miles east of Brighton on August 6.
The vessel’s fishing gear had strengthening bags attached to the cod-end – legal if properly fitted – but which were too small and restrictive. This can increase the quantities of juvenile fish and marine organisms retained before being dumped overboard dead or dying.
Skipper, Andrew Hill was fined £500 for each offence and ordered to pay costs of £560.
Peter Leach was fined £3,000 for each offence with an additional fine to the value of fish of £2,500 and legal costs of £1790.75.
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.
