Six vessels held for catch offences

THE Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority detained six Irish-registered fishing vessels for alleged catch offences in January, it was revealed yesterday.

The ships were detained in Wexford, Cork and Dublin for offences ranging from catching fish which contravened the vessel’s licence, to under-recording to amounts of fish caught.

The alleged breach catches ranged in value from just over €1,000 to more than €20,000.

Authority chairman Peter Whelan said the illegal landing and marketing of fish only serves to depress the price the legitimate fisherman should be achieving for his fish.

“This personal gain sought by a small number of people puts fishermen who operate in accordance with the law at a commercial disadvantage,” he said.

Later this month, the Government is due to introduce a long-awaited compensation scheme that could see two out of every five Irish fishing vessels removed from overfished waters.

The decommissioning or scrappage scheme will see fishermen compensated for agreeing to take their boat out of service.