An 83-year-old Newlyn fishing boat owner was convicted for 11 counts of falsifying records of landings of quota controlled fish at Truro Crown Court on Tuesday. The fisherman was terrified the Judge’s heavy fines would take his home from him. The court has imposed huge fine. It is said that Donald Turtle and his 72-year-old wife Joan, were fined £3,300 each plus £1,000 fines.
Their son, John, skipper of their boat, The Ben Loyal, was fined £11,000 plus costs of almost £5,000. Donald informed that they have worked so hard all their lives to afford their own home. He added that standing in that courtroom one couldn’t shake the feeling that it could all be taken away from you in an instant.
It is said that the couple have already paid more than £12,000 in solicitors’ costs over the last six years. Mrs Turtle told that the last six years of stress had taken its toll on her health, forcing her to take anti-depressant medication and making her increasingly reclusive. Following the court case a senior Marine Fisheries Agency spokesman said theirs was an environmental and financial crime.
He further said that quota was available for these species of fish throughout the investigation period. He also said that this deception was done for financial gain – not to avoid discarding fish. And these activities both endangered fish stocks and penalised legal fishermen by depressing prices.
