A fisherman from Lincoln has been fined ?25,000 for illegally fishing in Manx Waters.
Dinars Lugans, the master of vessel Prosperity FD 537, appeared at Douglas Courthouse on Tuesday.
He admitted retaining Whelk under the minimum landing size on December 11th – the court heard the value of his catch was around ?3,500.
Sea Fishery Officers from the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture boarded the boat whilst it was at sea and found 93 bags of whelk.
Over 64 per cent of the catch was under the minimum landing size.
Minister Geoffrey Boot says: “We have strict laws in place in Manx waters to protect our fishing stocks.
“Undersized Whelk like other commercially caught fish in our waters must be returned to the sea immediately until of a legal size to be landed to ensure the sustainability of the stock.
“This prosecution helps to reinforce our zero-tolerance approach to illegal fishing and demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those in breach of the policy.
“I’d like to praise the Fisheries Directorate at DEFA for their continued hard work in monitoring illegal fishing, enabling us to enforce this policy and hold to account those who do not abide by Manx law in Manx waters.”
