§ Mr. Strangasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a list of the vessels arrested since 1 July 1979 in United Kingdom waters for illegal fishing, showing in each case: the country of origin of the vessel, whether the skipper was prosecuted, whether the prosecution was successful, the penalty imposed, the nature of the infringement, the species of fish involved and the approximate value of the illegal catch.
§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith[pursuant to his reply, 15 Febuary 1980, c. 796–7]: Since 1 July 1979 17 fishing vessels have been brought into port by RN or DAFS fishery protection vessels for further investigation in connection with suspected breaches of fisheries regulations. Prosecutions have been brought in respect of 16 of these vessels. The case of the remaining vessel, which is registered in the United Kingdom, is still under consideration. The following tables give the details requested for the prosecutions in respect of the other 16 vessels.
In addition, prosecutions have been brought in respect of over 30 offences involving United Kingdom vessels which were not brought into port for further investigation. In most cases these offences were detected in port or as a result of onshore checks.
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DANISH VESSELS Result Penalty Charge Species Catch value £ 1. Guilty £250 fine; £50 costs Illegal attachment Cod, plaice, lemon sole, dog fish Not known 2. Guilty £1,000 fine; £178 costs Failure to comply with the requirements of a British Sea Fishery Officer. Sprat and herring Not known
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FRENCH VESSELS Result Penalty Charge Species Catch value £ 3. Guilty £250 line; £100 costs Illegal net Nephrops and mixed white fish Not known 4. Guilty £250 fine; £100 costs; One net forfeit. Illegal net Nephrops, whiting, cod Not known 5. Guilty £250 fine; £100 costs; Nets forfeit. Illegal nets Nephrops, dog fish, angler, cod, whiting, hake. 2.600 6. Guilty £250 fine; £100 costs; Nets value £150 forfeit. Illegal nets Hake, nephrops, monk, dog fish, sole, John dory. Not known 7. Guilty (Appeal pending) £250 fine; £100 costs; Nets (value £150) forfeit. Illegal nets Nephrops, dog fish, monk, skate, hake Not known 8. Case pending — Illegal nets Nephrops, monk, dog fish, whiting, ling, pollock. Not known
SPANISH VESSELS Result Penalty Charge Species Catch value £ 9. Guilty £500 fine; £220costs; Cod end of net (value £200) forfeit. Illegal net Hake, megrim, ling, monk 5,500 10. Guilty £7,500 fine; Catch and gear forfeit Fishing for unauthorised species Haddock and whiting 2,500 11. Guilty £6,000 fine; Catch forfeit. Fishing within 12 mile line: fishing for unauthorised species; failure to comply with the requirements of a British Sea Fishery Officer. Cod, whiting, haddock, saithe, halibut 4,000
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UNITED KINGDOM VESSELS Result Penalty Charge Species Catch value £ 12. Guilty £25 fine; £30 costs Herring Licence offence Herring 1.387 13. Case pending — Fishing for herring within 12 mile line Herring Not known 14. Case pending — Fishing for herring within 12 mile line Herring Not known 15. Case pending — Fishing for herring within 12 mile line Herring Not known 16. Case pending — (1) Illegal net Nephrops, mixed Not known (2) Illegal attachment