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Unlicensed Commercial Rod and Line Fisherman Gets £1,000 Fine
Apr 16,2007 00:00
by
SACN
BASS POACHER ORDERED TO PAY £1,000 FOR SELLING CATCH WITHOUT A LICENCE. A man who caught bass on rod and line from his unlicensed boat and then sold them illegally to a fish merchant was fined £600 and ordered to pay £400 costs by magistrates at Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, on Monday April 16th. Richard Eynon, 28, of Burry Port, Llanelli, pleaded guilty to selling over 50 kilos of bass worth £300 caught on his unlicensed boat Anna-Bell, to a Cornish fish merchant. The prosecution, brought by the Marine and Fisheries Agency, cited a sales note from the fish merchants which revealed Mr. Eynon’s name and bank details on transactions between June 8th and 13th 2006. A Marine and Fisheries Agency Spokesman said: “Unlicensed catching and selling of bass is a serious matter which is of legitimate concern both to the commercial fishermen of South Wales and to serious sea anglers. “Such illegal activity can do serious damage to fish stocks as well as distorting the market for licensed fishermen.” Notes to Editors: The Marine Fisheries Agency is an executive agency of government which is tasked with service delivery, inspection, and enforcement provided by the government to the fishing industry and other marine users in England and Wales. The MFA has overall responsibility for the enforcement of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and its associated regulations within the 60,000 square miles of English and Welsh waters. MFA’s key objectives are : * to be a key partner in the management of marine fisheries * to enforce fisheries regulations, professionally, consistently and fairly * to contribute to the sustainable use of the marine environment * to provide advice which informs effective policy and helps customers abide by it. |