€1,000 fine for under-recording monkfish catch

A fisherman and father of seven facing a penalty for under-recording his catch of monkfish said yesterday he did not have the heart to throw a good catch over the side.

Johnny Orpen, of Castletownbere, Co Cork, who recalled fishing with his father at the age of nine, now has his own €4.3m vessel for which he is making substantial monthly repayments.

He was at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday to plead guilty to a charge of under-recording his catch of monkfish on his logbook.