Fishing vessel skipper fined £8000

Hefty fine for unlawful scallop fishing

The skipper of an Northern Irish-registered fishing boat has been fined £8,000 for catching king scallops in Manx waters without a licence.

Officers aboard the Island's fisheries protection vessel, Barrule, spotted the ‘Provider’ fishing for scallops five miles south-west of Chicken Rock on Wednesday last week (23 November).

Skipper John Baldwin admitted the charge when he appeared at Douglas courthouse.

Baldwin told the court the vessel originally had both UK and Isle of Man licences but had to be registered to a new owner.

In reinstating the UK licence, the new owner of the vessel had failed to re-apply for the Manx one.

In addition to the fine, he was ordered to forfeit the catch, worth £220, and pay £50 costs.