At a sitting of Galway District Court on Monday, 23rd February, Judge Aeneas McCarthy convicted a man living in Galway on two counts of illegal fishing, and issued fines of €450.
Vyaceslav Kovalcuks, with an address at Cnoc an Oir, Rahoon, Galway, was charged with: use of a scheduled engine, in this case a longline; fishing with live bait; use of more than two rods; and with refusing to give his name and address, in contravention of fisheries legislation.
Judge McCarthy heard evidence that on the morning of 24th April 2014, Mr. Kovalcuks was observed by fishery officers fishing in a small rubber dinghy on Ballyquirke Lake, Moycullen. He was seen fishing with a longline baited with live fish, and also had three small rods out with which he was catching small coarse fish to use as bait. When he came ashore he was approached by fishery officers but refused to give his name and address, which he continued to refuse until Gardai were called.
Judge McCarthy convicted Mr. Kovalcuks on two counts, with the other charges taken into account. Mr. Kovalcuks was fined €300 for the use of a scheduled engine, and €150 for the use of live bait. Costs of €600 were also awarded.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has a confidential hotline number to enable members of the general public to report incidents - 1890 34 74 24 or 1890 FISH 24. This phone line is designed to encourage the reporting of incidents of illegal fishing, water pollution and invasive species.
