Penalties imposed on Devon trawlers owner/skipper for undersized fish A Tenby fisherman had fines of £750 and costs of £400 imposed upon him after Magistrates sitting in Haverfordwest on 13 January heard how Officers from the South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee had discovered undersized Whelks within catches taken by his boat landed in Saundersfoot Harbour. The fishery for whelks has grown to be of major importance both in Wales and across the UK after markets in the Far East were developed in the mid 1990’s. Following an initial boom-and-bust scenario, management measures including a minimum size and a closed season were introduced to ensure a sustainable future for the fishery. Neil Thomas of 10 Haytor Gardens, Tenby pleaded not-guilty to the charge and told the court that Fishery Officers had failed to ascertain the true ownership of the whelks which had been landed on his behalf; that samples taken by the Officers were not representative of the catch as a whole; and that sub-species of whelk may have been present to which the regulations did not apply. The Court rejected all these arguments and duly convicted him on the charge. The Court also ordered a £15 victim surcharge to be paid. |
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