TRAWLER TOO BIG FOR INSHORE WATERS. On 19th June, Haverfordwest Magistrates heard how a Devon based trawler had been caught fishing in the area regulated by the South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee. The Committee’s patrol vessel ‘Cranogwen’ had been patrolling the Caldey Island to St Govan’s Head area on Tuesday 29 November 2005, when the trawler ‘Pacemaker’ was detected by radar and then electronically plotted. Its initial position was 1 mile inside the Committee’s 6 mile limit. By the time the Patrol Vessel was alongside, the trawler was 2 miles inside where she was instructed to haul her fishing gear. Regulation of larger fishing vessels is achieved via the Committee’s byelaws which limit the size of boat with reference to its catching power. A combination of a vessel’s dimensions and its engine power determine its Capacity Units. The byelaws limit these Units to 150; the Pacemaker’s were 171. Fishery Officers boarded the trawler to check its nets which were in order. An inspection of the catch on board indicated a value of approximately £1500. Steven Fishleigh, of 45 Barton Tors, Bideford, Devon was the skipper on that day. He told the Officers he was under the impression his vessel had a historic right to operate in the South Wales district but conceded she was not the subject of a Permit. The trawler’s owner, Richard Fishleigh, of 37 Churchill Road, Bideford was also summoned to court. Both men were fined £1500 each and ordered to pay £50 in prosecution costs. In imposing the penalties, the Court had taken into consideration that both the fish and the fishing gear used at the time, worth several thousand pounds, could have been subject to forfeiture. A Committee spokesman said “Larger vessels operating heavier gears for longer periods in harsher weather conditions can have significant impacts in environmentally sensitive inshore areas where fish stocks are often limited and available to smaller vessels for a short time. Where large fishing boats can roam around the coast to fish such stocks it is appropriate that their operations are restricted. A recent extensive refurbishment of the Committee’s patrol vessel has demonstrated our commitment to protecting the inshore marine environment of South Wales for all its users.” |
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