The Irish Fish Producers’ Organisation (IFPO) is seeking urgent reform of sea fisheries legislation after a recent acquittal in a Donegal court.
As The Irish Times reports, Gareth Murphy, master of the Western Chieftain fishing vessel, was acquitted of charges of failing to accurately record his catch.
The Killybegs-based skipper was charged with being in contravention of several regulations on October 10th, 2021, within the exclusive fishery limits of the State.
The newspaper reports that he was charged with failing to accurately record in the logbook for the operations of the said sea-fishing boat a catch of herring by recording 25,000kg of herring in the fishing logbook when an amount of 33,880kg of herring was landed.
Judge John Aylmer directed the jury to return a verdict of not guilty for Mr Murphy, as the court found that the defendant had no case to answer due to a failure by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to present fundamental evidence.
The DPP brought the case at the behest of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority.
The court was told that there is a ten per cent tolerance for logbook records of a catch, and the judge stated that the DPP was relying on inadmissible hearsay evidence in relation to the estimated quantity of fish landed.
IFPO chief executive Aodh O Donnell, said that “we are committed to good ocean governance and the long-term sustainability of our coastal communities”.
“While the SFPA has a crucial role in monitoring and enforcement, this case underscores the serious challenges posed by existing legislation,” he said.
O’Donnell said there was a need for legislation that aligns with recent revisions to EU control regulations.
He called for urgent reform to prevent similarly flawed prosecutions.
“This verdict highlights the urgent need for a robust, harmonised, and credible legislative framework,” he said.
“ We urge the DPP and relevant authorities to take full account of this ruling and act swiftly to reform the system,” he said.
Read The Irish Times here
