€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.

David Kealy, fisheries protection officer, said that Orpen’s vessel was subject of a routine boarding at Castletownbere on May 28, 2012.

On board were 340 boxes of monkfish while the logbook registered a catch of 62 boxes. Mr Kealy said trawlers would be boarded on average for one-in-10 of their trips to sea.

Defence barrister Kieran Hughes called Orpen to give evidence after he pleaded guilty.

He said he employed three local Castletownbere men, one fisherman from Dingle, and one from Mayo, and that he was committed to monthly repayments of €15,000 on his vessel as well as high insurance and fuel costs.

He said fishing was very difficult at the moment and added: “We are living on the edge.

“It is a mortal sin to be throwing good fish out over the side,” said Orpen, adding that he would like his sons to be fishing in 15 years time.

Cross-examining, the prosecution barrister, Donal McCarthy said he only had one question: “I suppose you would like there to be fish there in 15 years?”

The defendant said that was a good question and that the answer to that problem was in increasing the mesh size of nets.

It automatically followed that fish and gear to the amount of €20,000 were confiscated.

Judge Patrick J Moran imposed a fine of €1,000 which would be regarded as a nominal fine in a fisheries case.

The judge said the defendant struck him as a hard-working man and he appreciated that the fishing industry was in a very difficult situation.