The skipper of a French registered fishing vessel has been convicted and fined after he pleaded guilty to non-compliance with the landing obligation rules.
The Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) says that Ludovic Guennec, skipper of the Astrid, was convicted of the offence in a case before Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
The court imposed a fine of €12,500 for the charge, and ordered forfeiture of €30,000 from the value of the catch and gear onboard.
The charges arose from an inspection by officers, including an Irish officer, attached to the European Fisheries Control Agency’s (EFCA’s) patrol vessel Ocean Guardian, operating in the waters of the Irish exclusive economic zone on May 18th, 2025.
The vessel was detained in an operation co-ordinated by officers onboard the Ocean Guardian, SFPA officers and An Garda Síochána.
The SFPA says that evidence was given that during the inspection onboard the vessel, officers witnessed crew members discarding fish species back into the sea via a pipe attachment on the end of the sorting line.
All fish species except anglerfish and prawns were observed being discarded by the crew overboard. The discarded species included those subject to catch quotas, the SFPA says.
The court heard that the masters of fishing vessels are legally obliged to retain and record all quota species landed.
These records are vital for calculating sustainable quota allocations, conserving fish stocks, and informing area closures where necessary, to prevent overfishing and avoid stock collapse.
In giving its decision, the court remarked that it was a necessity to know the quantities of fish being caught, the SFPA says.
