Magistrates at Worthing have fined the owner and skipper of an inshore fishing vessel for a series of infringements identified by the Sussex IFCA, which manages fisheries within the coastal zone.
Owner Paul Bacon faces fines and costs of £5000 for six infringements, and skipper Sean Bacon’s fines and costs total £2500 for obstructing fishery officers.
BJ P-950 was identified fishing for whelks within the Sussex IFCA area south of Bognor Regis and boarded in January this year by officers from patrol vessel Watchful, which had already hauled a number of illegal whelk pots.
The inspection and investigations revealed a number of infringements of Shellfish Permit Byelaw conditions, including numbers of pots exceeding the prescribed limits, absent escape holes, untagged pots and unmarked dahns.
‘The whelk fishery of Sussex has come under increasing pressure over recent years. Impacts from unsustainable practices will have direct impacts on the recovery of stocks and those responsible fishers that comply with management measures,’ said Sean Ashworth, Deputy Chief of Sussex IFCA.
‘It brings us no pleasure to prosecute people, but we must protect our fisheries from individuals who disregard the rules. We are totally committed to creating sustainable fisheries and protecting the marine environment. This prosecution will help will help raise awareness of the damage that a minority can cause.’
The inshore whelk fishery within the Sussex IFCA area is vital to the local fishing communities. In 2019 over 1085 tonnes of whelk were reported as fished from the Sussex IFCA District, and landing per unit effort figures appear to have improved in comparison with the past two years.
