Seven charges have been brought against the master of a German-registered pelagic trawler which was detained off the south-west Irish coast last weekend.
The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) confirms that seven charges under sea-fisheries law were brought against the master of the 116m Helen Mary at hearing of Cork District Court on Thursday (Feb 20)
The vessel was escorted into Tivoli Docks in the Port of Cork earlier this week after its detention 65 nautical miles off Mizen Head within the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone late on Sunday February 16th.
It was detained by the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) patrol vessel, Ocean Protector.
The European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) patrol vessel, Ocean Protector in Cork Harbour Photo: Bob Bateman
The SFPA said that the Director of Public Prosecutions directed that charges relating to suspected offences of illegal equipment use, a non-compliant boarding ladder, and non-compliant plans in relation to the vessel be prosecuted on indictment in the Circuit Court.
A summary charge of failing to comply with a direction of an officer of the SFPA was also brought against the vessel master.
The master was released on bail to appear before Cork Circuit Criminal Court on April 28th, 2025, the SFPA said.
As Afloat reported earlier, the court ordered that the vessel be released on the payment of a bond of €425,000, it said.
The detention was made last Sunday by the EFCA officers on board the Ocean Protector under a joint deployment plan framework, the SFPA Said.
This framework “provides the legal basis where the relationships of joint deployment of inspections assets/inspectors are set, and are applicable to all assets of the concerned member states and EFCA”, the SFPA says.
“When operating in EU waters, the EFCA inspectors always have union inspectors from members states onboard and they are the leading inspectors,”it says.
