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£1.6 million fine for Anglo-Spanish fisheries fraud at Swansea Crown Court

4th April 2003

Substantial fines and legal costs totalling £1.6 million, for large-scale fisheries fraud are to be paid by the owners of three Anglo-Spanish fishing trawlers working out of Milford Haven, Swansea Crown Court ruled.

Two separate cases involving UK registered fishing vessels `Whitesands` (Plymouth registered, but working out of Milford Haven) and `Grampian Avenger` and `Grampian Avenger 2` (Milford Haven registered) were brought by the Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs () and have been heard over the course of this week.

Welcoming the court’s verdict ’s Milford-based District Inspector of Fisheries Martin Hearn said: "These hefty fines are in scale with the magnitude of this fisheries fraud. They are a clear deterrent to any fishermen tempted to try the same tricks.

"Overt dishonesty like this undermines the long-term future for all fishermen. The Government will resolutely pursue those that flout fisheries law."

The Whitesands case was undefended and both the trawler’s owners Plymouth Shipping Ltd and another company Santa Fe Ltd which leases the vessel did not appear in court.

The presiding judge Mr Christopher Morton found them guilty on 27 counts of fisheries fraud, notably,
alteration of logbooks, not properly recording quota species catches in logbooks, and submission of incorrect landing declarations.

The charges against the Whitesands related to a series of fishing trips made in the period January 2000 to June 2002, in waters to the west and south-west of Ireland and to the west of Scotland (ICES areas VI and VII). In June 2002 Whitesands was intercepted by HMS Anglesey and detained to Milford Haven. There, fisheries inspectors found that subtle alterations had been made to the vessel’s logbook by its skippers. These alterations substantially downplayed the amount of hake the vessel had caught over 46 fishing trips, by approximately 508 tonnes.

The 11 charges against the Grampian Avenger and its sister ship Grampian Avenger 2, both owned by Milford-based company Ramosa Ltd, related to offences committed between January 2000 and April 2001, again in ICES areas VI and VII, again mostly hake.

The vessel’s logbook entries were initially completed in pencil. Where the vessel was not subject to inspection at sea, these pencil entries were erased and smaller quantities of fish superimposed in pen. This resulted in an under declaration of approximately 165 tonnes of hake.

Hake, a popular delicacy in Spain, is a seriously threatened stock currently subject, like cod, to EU recovery measures.


1. These two cases were heard at Swansea Crown Court during the course of the week commencing Monday 31st March 2003.

2. Whitesands was heard on the 31st March, 1st April, 2nd April with a verdict delivered on the 2nd and sentenced on 4th April.

3. Grampian Avenger/Grampian Avenger 2 was heard and sentenced on 3rd April.

4. Charges were brought under the Sea Fisheries Control Regulation 2000.

5. Fines and costs were set as follows:


Whitesands


- Fine - £1,150,000

- Costs - £52,652

- Skipper Ferriero (aged 42) fined £5000

- Skipper Fernandez (aged 38) conditionally discharged


Grampian Avenger/Grampian Avenger 2


- Fine - £500,000, to be paid over 3 years, at a rate of £150,000 per year with final £50,000 to be paid by October 2006.

- Costs - £17,819, to be paid within 28 days


6. Hake quotas for waters to the Southwest and west of Ireland and west of Scotland were/are:


Year/Total Allowable Catch (`quota` in tonnes)

2000 / 4240

2001 / 2500

2002 / 2717

2003 /2988


7. Milford-based District Inspector of Fisheries Martin Hearn is available for interview via Karen Triggs at Press Office on 0207 238 6027.


6. This week’s cases follow fines and costs totalling £216,00, awarded by Carmarthen Crown Court on 28th February 2003, against the owner of Anglo-Spanish, Milford-registered vessel the Lady Laura.

Find the press notice at: http://www..gov.uk/news/2003/030228c.htm


Press enquiries:020 7238 6027

Public enquiries: 08459 335577
Source
Nobel House 17 Smith Square London SW1P 3JR

Telephone 020 7238 1133

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