Protecting local fish stocks is a priority of the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, says Minister Richard Ronan MHK.

He was speaking after a trawler master appeared in court charged with fishing for king scallops in a closed area.

The crew of DEFA’s fisheries protection vessel Barrule detained the Irish-registered Golden Fleece off the north west coast of the Isle of Man on Sunday.

On Tuesday, Ryan John Newell, of County Down appeared before magistrates and admitted fishing in a closed area.

He was fined ?5,000 with ?125 costs and ordered to forfeit his catch of 33 bags of scallops, worth ?2,163.

The Minister said: ‘The king scallop fishing season started on Sunday (1st November). Regulations govern where vessels can fish and parts of the Island’s territorial seas are closed to allow stocks to recover. This vessel was caught fishing within a closed area.

‘The crew of the Barrule enforces fisheries regulations and has the right to board and detain any vessel it finds breaching them.

‘The sea fishing industry is worth ?13 million to the Island’s economy and it is carefully managed to ensure it isn’t overfished, with the resulting damaging effect on future catches.

‘I hope this latest prosecution sends out the message that we will continue to take a robust approach to anyone breaching regulations.’