Master and vessel owner ordered to pay £15,624 for fisheries offences

A hearing took place at Plymouth Magistrates Court on 8 January 2019 in a prosecution brought by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).

Kindred Spirit (LT1048) is a 13 metre stern trawler owned by Roger Klyne and skippered by Stephen Fisher. The court heard that the vessel had overfished its non-sector quota for anglerfish in both July and August 2017. The total value of the overfish was £10,575.44.

Two charges for exceeding monthly quota limits were brought before the court. The defendants pleaded guilty to both charges.

Mr Klyne was fined £10,000, ordered to pay £3,014.74 in costs and a victim surcharge of £170. Mr Fisher was fined £2,400 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £40.

A spokesperson for the MMO said: “In cases like these the MMO will always take proportionate and appropriate action, including prosecution, to ensure offenders do not profit from such illegal activity and to protect fish stocks for the wider fishing industry and future generations.

“In following national guidelines for sentencing environmental crimes, the court set a level of fine that was expressly aimed at depriving the defendants of the economic benefit of the offences. The court said it wanted to make it clear that it should not be cheaper to offend than to comply with the law.”

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