Scott Trawlers In Court For Illegal Fishing

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.

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 Victor Good, Trevor Mole and Steven Barnes In Court For Illegal Sole Fishing

Three Cheating Skippers and a Fish Merchant Face £317,000 Penalty for ‘Black’ Sole

Three skipper owners of trawlers from Harwich, Whitstable, and West Mersea cheated on fishing allocations by failing to report the valuable dover sole they caught – so called ‘black’ fish - a court was told.

In total they landed 19 tonnes of sole worth £99,000 which they then sold to a fish merchant with a white van who failed to record the purchases and the submit sales notes.

In a case brought by the Marine and Fisheries Agency, the four pleaded guilty to a total of 47 specimen charges from 260 offences at two separate hearings at Ipswich Crown Court.

Because of the seriousness of the offences, Suffolk Police, in conjunction with the MFA, conducted a financial investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act. That examined the level of criminal benefit that had been derived by the four’s illegal activity going back six years from the time they were charged with a view to obtaining confiscation orders of their assets.

Victor Good, 68, skipper owner of the Allison Theresa, based at Harwich was ordered to pay an £80,183 confiscation order within 28 days or face a prison sentence of two years.

And on five counts of supplying false information and five counts of making inaccurate landing declarations Good was fined a total of £25,000 with a further £13,500 costs.

Trevor Mole, 56, of West Mersea, Essex, skipper owner of the Rebeccan was ordered to pay a compensation order of £63,278; £5,000 in fines for four offences of making false landing declarations, and a further £5,000 in costs.

Stephen Barnes, 48, of Whitstable, skipper owner of the trawler Our Sarah Jane was ordered to pay a confiscation order of £70,000 and fines totalling £12,000 for 17 offences. He will pay another £9,146 in costs.

The court heard by failing to report the sole they caught the fishermen were cheating on EU and UK fishing rules which imposes limits on catches to protect fish stocks.

They landed their ‘black’ fish at Harwich, West Mersea, and Whitsable.

Their criminal actions enabled them to carry on fishing after they had caught the amount of sole to which they were legally entitled.

The fish merchant who bought the sole, Kamil Kolancali, 54, of Nanne and Son of Boston, Lincs., picked up the fish in a white van, the court was told. He then sold it on at fish markets in France, England and Belgium claiming it was being sold for the first time.

Kolancali was ordered to pay a confiscation order of £10,000, fines of £12,500 on 16 specimen charges of failing to submit sales notes on first purchase of fish and £12,500 in costs.

The MFA launched a 14 month investigation in 2005 after fishery officers suspected that large quantities of sole were being caught which was not showing up in the records they received.

Judge Neil McKittrick told Ipswich Crown Court said: “The regulations are there for a purpose, they are not perfect. They are there to preserve fish stocks so that the UK and Europe can continue to enjoy fish.”

An MFA spokesman said: “Undeclared or ‘black’ fish reduces the price fish on the legal market. This was a serious ‘black’ fish case where these three trawler men cheated on the fellow fishermen by not declaring what they had caught.

“The rules are there both to protect fish stocks for the future and at the same time to allow fishermen to take their fair share of what is a national resource.”

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British Beach-goers Urged To Watch Out For Jellyfish!

UK Jelly Fish Survey 2008

Friday 25^th July 2008 - embargoed until 00:01hrsAs the school holidays begin, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is again calling on British seaside visitors to take part in the national MCS Jellyfish Survey and report their sightings of these bizarre but fascinating creatures. Large jellyfish blooms have already been reported washing up on beaches in England, Scotland and Wales, and as the UK’s seas warm up during the summer, more jellyfish blooms are expected.

“This year’s jellyfish season started in April in the Irish Sea, when barrel jellyfish were reported off the Welsh coast. In May we started to receive reports of big blooms of the harmless moon jellyfish from around the UK, and then through June and July, large numbers of the beautiful blue and compass jellyfish also started to wash up on our beaches,” said Peter Richardson, MCS Biodiversity Programme Manager, “Blooms of the stinging Lion’s Mane jellyfish have been recorded in the Irish Sea as well as on Scotland’s east coast, and a potentially dangerous Portuguese Man Of War was recorded nr. Land’s End in Cornwall in mid-July. As ever, we are encouraging holidaymakers to take part in our national jellyfish survey, but the key message is look, don’t touch!“

The MCS Jellyfish Survey aims to uncover the little-known habits of British jellyfish, as part of a wider programme to find out more about critically endangered leatherback turtles that migrate thousands of miles to UK waters to feed on their favourite jellyfish prey each summer. By mapping where and when the jellyfish are seen, MCS hopes to understand more about leatherback turtles while they visit in UK seas.

“Our survey has already recorded some unusual jellyfish events. For example, last summer we received many reports of the usually rare Portuguese Man of War washing up on beaches in Devon and Cornwall. Then in November our volunteers recorded a vast and unseasonal bloom of the Mauve Stinger jellyfish move into our waters along Britain’s north west coast,” said Peter Richardson, “Mauve Stingers can sting quite badly, and have wreaked havoc at holiday destinations throughout the Mediterranean. Last years’ Mauve Stinger bloom stretched from Northern Ireland to the Shetland Islands and severely affected salmon farms off Northern Ireland and the west coast of Scotland. We are not sure if the Mauve Stinger bloom was a one-off event, but scientists are predicting that climate change will result in more jellyfish in UK waters and the MCS jellyfish survey aims to record these unusual blooms if they happen again.”

MCS is interested in the six larger jellyfish and two jellyfish-like species likely to be encountered around the UK coast that are known to be leatherback prey. This year British beach-goers and sea-users are encouraged to record their jellyfish encounters at www.mcsuk.org, where a free MCS jellyfish identification guide can also be downloaded. Paper copies of the ID guide and forms are also available on request, however MCS advises the public to take care during the survey.

Over 5,000 jellyfish encounters have been reported since the MCS Survey was launched in 2003. The survey data will be fully analysed in collaboration with the University of Exeter’s Centre for Ecology & Conservation, but initial analysis of these public reports is already showing interesting differences in the distribution of the larger jellyfish species around Britain (as shown in table below).

Jellyfish species	Distribution	This year’s records
Barrel (harmless)	Blooms largely restricted to the Firth of Clyde, Solway Firth and Irish Sea, but strays are recorded further south	Large blooms off Wales in April.
Lion’s Mane (powerful sting)	Northern seas, not usually recorded south of the Irish Sea or Northumberland.	Reported in Irish Sea from May onwards, off the east coast of Scotland in June, and one as far south as Bacton, Norfolk in mid-July.
Blue (mild sting)	Entire UK coast.	Started to bloom around the UK coast in June, continuing through July.
Compass (mild sting)	Entire UK coast	Started to bloom around the UK coast in June, continuing through July.
Moon (harmless)	Entire UK coast.	Started to bloom around the UK coast in May, continuing through July.
Mauve stinger (powerful sting)	Occasionally reported from the Channel Islands & SW England, large unseasonal bloom of western UK in 2007.	No UK records so far, although large blooms reported in parts of the Mediterranean.
Portuguese Man Of War (dangerous sting)	Occasionally recorded from South West coast - in summer 2007 many were recorded there.	One record of a small specimen found at Sennen beach, Cornwall on the 11th July.

Taking part in the jellyfish survey is easy! The full-colour MCS jellyfish photo-ID guide can be downloaded from www.mcsuk.org where jellyfish encounters can be reported online. Alternatively, if beach goers want a paper copy of the ID guide and recording forms, they are available on request from the MCS office on 01989 566017 or info@mcsuk.org. Ends

For further information, and photographs contact:

Peter Richardson, Biodiversity Programme Manager. Tel: 01989 566017 Mob: 07793 118383

E-mail: peter@mcsuk.org

Marine Conservation Society, Unit 3, Wolf Business Park, Ross on Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5NB. Fax: 01989 567815 www.mcsuk.org

Scottish press contact - Anne Saunders, Scottish Projects Officer. Tel: 0131 226 2391, Mob: 07894 566624 - anne.saunders@mcsuk.org

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Kayak Fishing For Tope

When forum member CPS (Chris Scaife) invited the Whitby forum kayakers to join him on a tope fishing mission off the Holderness coast all the lads jumped at the opportunity to get out there and try be the first to catch a tope from a kayak in Yorkshire. But one man in particular was keener than the rest and stole a march on the others. Bassy Ken (Ken Oliver from Hull) got out there first and bagged himself a nice Yorkshire Coast Tope on his first attempt. To read Ken’s story in full please visit the link below.

Kayak Fishing For Tope

http://www.whitbyseaanglers.co.uk/forum/north-east-coast-fishing/fish-flash/0/

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Reef Building Corals In Trouble

Alarm Bells Ring Out For Reef-building Corals

10th july 2008

A major new report in Science, published online today, 10th July, reveals that a third of the world’s reef building coral species face an elevated extinction risk from climate change and local impacts. This alarming picture is the outcome of a comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of coral species by the world’s leading coral experts, using the IUCN Red List Criteria.

The study found that the extinction risk of corals has increased dramatically over the past decade. Before the warm-water event in 1998 that caused coral bleaching and death on a massive scale, only 13 out of 704 coral species (less than 2%) were in the threatened categories, but now the list contains 231 species (33%). The proportion of threatened coral species exceeds that of most terrestrial animal groups apart from amphibians, indicating their apparent susceptibility to climate change.

Elizabeth Wood, MCS Coral Reef Conservation Officer and one of the 34 co-authors of the report, hopes that this analysis will be a wake-up call for renewed efforts to protect coral reefs. “Coral reefs are one of the planet’s most incredible and diverse living systems and provide local communities in over 100 countries with food and other natural resources. With so many corals now clearly identified as being at risk, we need to do all that we can to keep reefs and coral healthy and prevent what could be disastrous losses to global marine biodiversity”.

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RSPB Etc Call For Marine Bill In Scotland

Turn The Tide To Save Scottish Seas

14th july 2008

Scotland’s environment charities call for tough measures to protect the marine environment in the Scottish Marine Bill

A coalition of Scotland’s marine environment groups today welcomed the launch of the Scottish Government consultation on a Scottish Marine Bill, and urged people to support their campaign for effective measures to protect Scotland’s seas to be included in the forthcoming Bill.

To take action in support of a strong Scottish Marine Bill, go to www.savescottishseas.org

Calum Duncan, chair of umbrella group Scottish Environment LINK’s Scottish Marine Bill campaign and Scottish Conservation Manager for the Marine Conservation Society, said:

‘Today we are launching our joint campaign to Save Scottish Seas. We believe that the Bill is a once in a lifetime opportunity to set tough targets to protect our wildlife and to achieve the recovery of the marine ‘web-of-life’ on which so many of Scottish livelihoods depend. We encourage the people of Scotland to respond to the consultation on a Scottish Marine Bill, which must have the marine environment at its heart and link closely to the UK Bill.

Scotland’s coast and seas are home to a rich variety of wildlife, with 45 % of the EU’s breeding seabirds, giant basking sharks and coral reefs. Yet there is evidence of decline in marine species and habitats and rising concerns about the impacts of human activities on the marine environment.

Jonny Hughes, Head of Policy at The Scottish Wildlife Trust said, ‘After years of tireless campaigning by environmental organisations the Marine Bill is finally happening. The Bill should herald the dawn of a new era for Scotland’s seas, one in which caring for the health of the marine environment is afforded top priority. The benefits will be clear, not just for marine wildlife but for the coastal communities which depend on a productive sea for their livelihoods.’

Helen McLachlan, WWF Scotland’s Marine Policy Officer, said: ‘If Scotland’s marine environment is to remain healthy for the communities and wildlife that depend upon it then a comprehensive overhaul of the current system is needed. Scotland has the lions share of the UK’s fishing industry, so it is vital to ensure that our valuable seas and their resources are managed and protected in the most effective way. In order to secure robust protection of all UK seas it is essential that a Marine Bill is passed in both Westminster and Scotland, with appropriate devolved legislation in Wales and Northern Ireland.’

Lloyd Austin, Head of Conservation Policy with RSPB Scotland said: ‘The most recent reports from our coastal reserves show that seabirds are yet again experiencing a poor breeding season, leading to population drops. The Scottish Marine Bill must be a true policy shift to put the environment at the heart of decision-making, bringing about sustainable management of our seas rather than treating them as a resource to exploit with impunity.’

Andrew Bachell, Conservation Services and Projects Director for the National Trust for Scotland said: ‘Our coastline, seas and islands such as St Kilda are world-renowned. Some of Scotland’s most important habitats and landscapes ore on Trust land, as are about one quarter of the seabirds of the European Union. We believe that Scotland’s seas and the wildlife it supports must be better protected. There is already too much evidence of the damage done. The Scottish Marine Bill is Scotland’s opportunity to act to protect our seas, and the life and work that they support for the future.’

Sarah Dolman, Scottish Policy Lead at the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society added: ‘We are lucky to have such a rich diversity of marine wildlife, including whales, porpoises and dolphins, in Scottish waters, and it is only by protecting the places and conditions they need to survive, through co-ordination, precautionary conservation of species and inclusion of all marine users in legislation that we can ensure their future protection for generations to come.’

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 Scottish Marine Bill

Bill Must Be A Lifeline For Scotland’s Seas

15th july 2008

Scotland’s environment charities call for tough measures to protect and effectively manage Scotland’s seas in the Scottish Marine Bill

Scottish Environment LINK, the coalition of Scotland’s environment charities,  has welcomed today’s publication of the Government consultation on a Scottish Marine Bill as an important step towards effective management and protection of Scotland’s seas. Following an initial assessment of the consultation, environment charities are pleased that the consultation includes proposals for:

• A statutory marine planning system
• A marine management organisation (Marine Scotland) although the success of this organisation will depend on its final role and structure.
• Protection of marine wildlife including proposals for marine protected areas, selected on science-based ecological criteria.
• Marine objectives (including marine ecosystem objectives) founded on the five principles of sustainable development[1]

Calum Duncan, chair of umbrella group Scottish Environment LINK’s Scottish Marine Bill campaign and Scottish Conservation Manager for the Marine Conservation Society, said:

‘We welcome the scope of the Scottish Marine Bill consultation, in particular the proposed new power to allow Scottish ministers to establish marine protected areas for species and habitats especially important to Scotland. These are urgently needed to help deliver a comprehensive network of sites to which Scotland has committed.’

Calum added:

‘There are still some areas where there is significant room for improvement and we will be pushing to ensure that the Scottish Marine Bill is as strong as possible. It is vital that the proposals for marine protected areas are robust enough to ensure that our nationally important marine species and habitats are adequately protected. Of some concern for example, is the proposal that the legislation allows for deselecting a site or amending its boundary in the face of increases in shipping and the development of new industries’.

On the need for Scottish and UK administrations to work together to develop matching legislation, Calum added:

‘We are also concerned that, similar to the UK Draft Marine Bill, there are no proposals for joint planning between administrations. Given that Scottish waters encompass the majority of UK seas it is essential that there is integration of plans between administrations and the ability to establish joint planning arrangements on a regional seas basis as well as a commitment from all UK Administrations to work together across political boundaries to achieve truly effective protection of UK seas.’

---

[1] Living within environmental limits; ensuring a strong, healthy and just society; achieving a sustainable economy; promoting good governance; and using science responsibly.

-ENDS-

NOTES TO EDITORS

(1)   Calum Duncan, Scottish Conservation Manager for the Marine Conservation

Society and Scottish Environment LINK Marine Task Force Convenor is available for comment on 0131 226 6360 or 07841 985 595.

(2)   To take action in support of a strong Scottish Marine Bill, go to http://www.savescottishseas.org/

(3) Scottish Environment LINK’s Save Scottish Seas campaign for a Scottish Marine Bill is a joint initiative by these members:

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust                 RSPB Scotland

Marine Conservation Society                            Scottish Wildlife Trust

National Trust for Scotland                                 Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

WWF Scotland

(4) The LINK Marine Bill Campaign is asking for a Scottish Marine Bill that includes:

• Effective protection for our marine wildlife, including a robust network of marine protected areas for marine life important to Scotland, designated using scientific criteria alone.
• A marine planning system founded on sustainable development principles to protect and restore Scotland’s marine environment, delivering enforceable local plans.
• A Scottish Marine Management Organisation to ensure Scotland meets tough targets for the sustainable management and recovery of our seas, protects wildlife and resources for future generations and works closely with UK and other governments.

(5) Scottish Environment LINK is the network for Scotland’s voluntary sector environmental organisations.  LINK has 32 member organisations spanning interests across the natural environment and associated cultural heritage, representing around 500.000 members. Further information on LINK is available at http://www.scotlink.org/

The campaign is funded by grants from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and the Tubney Charitable Trust. For more information visit the campaign website http://www.savescottishseas.org/

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ILLEGAL FISHING FINES TAKEN OUT OF COURT

Fixed Penalties Instead of Court For Fishermen and Owners

A new Financial Administrative Penalty system comes into force in England and Wales on April 28 for fishermen found breaking minor EU fishing rules.

Fishermen and vessel owners will be given the choice of a paying a fixed penalty instead of criminal prosecution in the courts.

The penalties – ranging from £250 to £2,000 for a first offence - apply to owners, masters, and or charterers and representatives of all English and Welsh fishing vessels wherever they are, and to all other fishing vessels within English and Welsh waters.

For a second offence penalties range from £500 to £4,000. A third similar offence would result in prosecution through the courts.

In all cases, if, for example the owner pays the fixed penalty within 28 days the skipper’s/charterers penalty will deem to have also been paid so they will no longer be liable.

Penalty notices are designed to be a quicker, simpler alternative to criminal proceedings, to increase transparency, and to reduce the administrative burdens on businesses with more effective inspection and enforcement.

Their introduction follows widespread consultation with stakeholders.

Marine and Fisheries Agency operations director, David Holliday says the system is designed to speed up procedures, and free time for all concerned.

“It will allow masters and owners to avoid criminal prosecution, and reduce uncertainties over the levels of fines by having clearly published fixed penalties,” he said.

“Penalty notices will be issued only as an option for fishermen to avoid prosecution. Fishermen will still have the right to maintain their innocence and make other representations about their case at a criminal court and have their case judged according to the usual rules of criminal procedure and evidence.”

There are four levels of penalty set according to their seriousness. The penalty levels are based on “risk to fisheries.”

The fixed penalty will be doubled if a similar category of offence is committed within a two year period.

• Level 1: £250 for first offence, £500 similar category offence within two years
• Level 2: £500 for first offence, £1,000 for similar category offence within two years
• Level 3: £1,000 for first , £2,000 for similar category offence within two years
• Level 4: £2,000 for first, £4,000 for similar category offence within two years

The penalty may be raised to higher level when:

• financial gain by the offence exceeds the amount of the penalty;
• the stock in question is subject to special Commission measures like recovery plans.

Fixed penalties are one of three options now open to the Marine and Fisheries Agency deputy chief inspectors at MFA’s London headquarters who take the decision on how to proceed against offenders at sea.

A written warning for lesser offences and the instigation of court proceeding for the more serious breaches remain the other options.

Also from this month, there will be a limit of one warning letter per person, partnership or company given for the same category of offence in a two year period. This will include warning letters issued in the two years prior to April 2008.

Offences of obstruction, failure to meet a BSFO’s requests, or assaults and threats will always be referred for prosecution.

There are similar schemes for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The system of penalty notices will be extended to domestic fisheries offences by powers in the Marine Bill which was also published this month.

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31,000 Fine For Belgian Trawler Skipper

Belgian Beamer Hit for £31,000 After Steaming for Zeebrugge

A trawler at sea

The skipper of a Belgian beam trawler who refused to be escorted to Harwich by a Fisheries Protection Vessel and instead steamed for Zeebrugge, was ordered to pay more than £31,000 in fines and costs, by Folkestone Magistrates.

Skipper and owner of the Alles Wisselt, Danny Bout, 49, of Yerseke, Holland pleaded guilty on April 30, to obstructing a British Sea Fisheries Officer and other fishery offences committed in August 2007 and January this year - including fishing with illegal strengthening bags.

In the case brought by the Marine and Fisheries Agency, the court heard that Alles Wisselt was first boarded by BSFOs from HMS Quorn in the southern North Sea off Margate in August 2007.

Initially officers were suspicious that the vessel had been mis-reporting areas of capture because the log book appeared to have been altered.

In the light of that, and other fishing infringements detected, the decision was taken to detain the vessel to Harwich for further investigation, the court heard.

But when Bout was told he was being detained to Harwich late at night, he refused to co-operate, and insisted on sailing to Zeebrugge.

After several attempts to talk the skipper around, the boarding party had no option but to seize his log book, seal his fish hold and fishing gear and disembark the vessel before Bout sailed off, magistrates were told.

Bout was later advised that if the vessel entered British Fishery Limits before this matter was resolved, it would be detained to a UK port and further action would be taken against the vessel.

Three months later when court dates were set, Bout was given permission to re-enter British Fishery Limits.

The Alles Wisselt was again boarded by BSFOs from HMS Quorn in the southern North Sea in January this year who found a strengthening bag on one of the cod ends which created an obvious ‘blinding’ effect, the court heard.

Prosecuting for the MFA, David Buck stressed the seriousness of the obstruction offence, explaining that the BSFOs had no choice but to leave the Alles Wisselt after Bout refused to comply with their orders to be detained to Harwich.

Bout pleaded guilty to obstruction and fishing with two illegal strengthening bags, retention of more than 75kgs of crab claws, failure to accurately record a quantity of crab in his logbook and displaying another vessel’s Port Letters and Numbers on one of his beams.

Defending, Andrew Oliver, said the skipper accepted his guilt and wished to apologise to the Navy and the court for disobeying orders from the BSFOs. His client’s behaviour was down to the fact that at the time he felt he was being called a liar in relation to the logbook offence which was later dropped, he said.

Danny Bout was ordered to pay a total of £31,767 in fines and costs, which included £3,000 for the obstruction offence and £6,000 for failing to record a quantity of crab.

For the August net offence Bout was fined £1,000 plus an additional fine to the value of half of the catch, which amounted to £5,500. For the January net offence he was fined £1,500 plus an additional fine to the value of half of the catch, which amounted to £6,000 making a total of £14,000 for the net offences.

A senior MFA Fisheries Officer, said after the case: “Obstruction of a BSFO is a very serious matter and one which the MFA will not tolerate.”

She added “We were extremely concerned that the actions of Bout in refusing to be detained to an English port may set a pattern for other foreign vessels to follow in the future in an attempt to avoid prosecution.

“The MFA is required to undertake a full investigation of the catch on board or search of a vessel for other information which could not be carried out if a vessel does not come in to a UK port. Without the vessel, catch and gear, the additional penalties available to the court could be reduced.”

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.

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Trawling Banned In Lyme Bay

Ministers act to protect Lyme Bay sea life

Lyme Bay

Ministers today banned damaging types of fishing in 60 square nautical miles of sea off the South West coast to protect threatened sea life.

About ten per cent of Lyme Bay from West Bay to Beer Head will be permanently closed to scallop dredgers and bottom trawlers which drag nets along the seabed, to safeguard the area’s rich marine life and habitats…

Further information on the Defra website - please click here (link opens in new window)
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.

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Johnsons Outdors To Donate To Breast Cancer Charity

Johnson Outdoors WaterCraft UK will donate One percent of all Eliza Necky Kayak sales to the Breast Cancer Fund in the fight against the disease. This also applies to the Venus 10 and Venus 11 from the Ocean Kayak range.

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 HUMMINBIRD SIDE IMAGING SONAR WINS SEAWORK AWARD

At the Seawork International exhibition in Southampton it has been announced that Humminbird Side Imaging Sonar has won the Innovation Award for Marine Electronics. The announcement was made at the Seawork Gala Dinner held at St Mary’s Stadium. Over 500 industry professionals were present. The award was announced by Iain Shepherd, Chairman of Marine South East, sponsors of the Seawork Innovation Showcase. The Showcase features products selected from six categories: Vessel Design and Construction, Safety and Survival, Marine Equipment and Materials, Diving and Underwater Technology, Marine Electronics and Marine Civil Engineering. Following acceptance in the showcase one product from each category is then voted overall winner.
This is a highly prestigious award and before being accepted for the Showcase all products are vetted as Jane Wilson, Events Director explains: “There are very specific criteria and potential entrants have to show why their product is special, what makes it innovative and what technology was used to bring that product to market.” Jane adds that the panel of experts judging the Awards all felt that the Humminbird Side Imaging Sonar was a very worthy winner. “The judges were unanimous in their voting and all totallyagreed that this stood out from the rest. The company should be very proud because it was noted by these experts that this was an extremely impressive product.” For the first time at Seawork, Johnson Outdoors UK (stand S44) is showing the new big screen Humminbird 1197 fishfinder which incorporates the exclusive side imaging sonar technology. As well as viewing beneath the boat, this sonar can scan and survey up to 240 feet either side of it producing detailed images of the underwater topography. For further information and images contact:
Johnson Outdoors UK or David Parker
Tel: 01493 745192 Tel: 01489 579219
Email: office@johnsonoutdoors.co.uk Email: david@parkermedia.co.uk

Launched last year, Humminbird side imaging technology
is used by mariners, divers, fishermen, Search and Rescue
professionals and the Emergency Services.

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Shark Caught In Whitby Angling Festival

Whitby fishing festival angler Adrian Stacey caught more than he bargained for during Fridays competition,

Both myself and Paul eddon had been let down by anglers not turning up on the morning so we decided to amalgamate both our depleted anglers into one trip on board trot on charters, (come on anglers it only takes a phone call?)

now for my part I came along as a pleasure angler, come helper, come photographer, and this was a opportunity for me to fish marks my boat could not practically reach in festival hours anyway, the weather was brilliant and the crack out there was just as good,

Paul decided to drop on a wreck a good way off and first drop I was in, then other rods were soon bending and cod after cod came flying in, I thought to myself this cannot be beaten great fishing great weather, little did I know an hour or so later I was about to whiteness the most spine tingling experience most sea anglers can only dream about,

just as I was pulling a decent cod up Paul shouted SHARK off port side

Read More About The Whitby Angling Festival Shark - Click Here

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Ocean Prowler Trident 13 - Sit On Top Fishing Kayak

Ocean Kayak, the world’s number 1 for sit-on-tops, offers paddlers an unrivalled choice of designs and the new Prowler Trident 13 is one of their latest models. It is a scaled down version of the popular Prowler Trident 15 and offers similar great features. At 13’ 6” (4.1m) long and with a width 29.5” (74.9cm) this craft performs well in a wide range of conditions on the water offering stability, manoeuvrability and speed; it also copes well with breaking surf and rough seas.

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It’s compact – but it’s got plenty of room on top. It’s the all new Trident 11 from Ocean Kayak, the world’s number 1 for sit-on-tops. At 11’5” (3.5m), long with a width of 30.5” (77.5cm) the Prowler 11 may be the smallest fishing kayak in the Trident line, but it’s big on performance.

Read More - The new ocean kayak prowler trident 11 

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Kayak Fishing At Saltwick Bay

Well seeing as I had to pick up a rod from Rusty today I thought that I might as well take the yak and try some of the ground just off Saltwick whilst up that way. Newdave was getting itchy feet to be out again, (unfortunately Quint showed that he really is a lily livered wessy at heart not the adopted Scarbro lad he aspires….lol….so he stayed in bed !) The wind looked good light stherly forecast …..
Kayak Fishing At Saltwick Bay - Read More

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Come And Try Kayak Weekend - Hampshire

25th—–26th—–27th JULY

AT MUDEFORD SPIT(next to the ferry pier and the Beach Cafe)

THE FULL RANGE OF OCEAN KAYAKS WILL BE THERE FOR ALL TO TRY UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF EXPERIENCED GUIDES

KAYAKS,PADDLES AND BOUYANCY VESTS WILL BE PROVIDED

THERE WILL ALSO BE FULLY RIGGED FISHING KAYAKS ON DISPLAY ON SAT/SUN

IF YOU ARE THINKING OF JOINING THE FASTEST GROWING SPORT ON THE WATER OR REQUIRE ADVICE ON PADDLING,SAFETY OR RIGGING YOUR KAYAK COME AND MEET THE CREW

ALL AGES,SEXES WELCOME.

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