Substantial fines dished out to illegal fishing vessel owners

Tue, 20 Oct 2015

Hefty fines have been handed out after a vessel was caught illegally fishing in Manx waters.

DEFA's fisheries protection boat 'Barrule' detained the Fleetwood-based Anne Mary B last Thursday.

The crew had been fishing for whelks off the Island's east coast without the relevant licence.

The boat's owner B&M Fishing was fined £10,000 with the skipper Adrian Handscombe fined £7,000 - they also had to forfeit the catch worth £1,728.

Minister Richard Ronan says it's important fishing takes place in a regulated way to ensure stocks are sustained.