A scalloper from Torquay has been fined thousands of pounds for illegal fishing off Cornwall. Carl Brian Snell from Barton Road in Torquay, South Devon, was caught dredging for scallops off Cornwall on six occasions in the last two years while operating a boat that was too big for the restricted fishing area and for not having his transponder switched on at all times as it should legally have been.
The 38-year-old master of the British registered fishing vessel Alicja Rose BF71 was also found to have an out-of-date electronic logbook and failed to send it the competent fishing authorities. He was also found to be dredging for scallop at a prohibited time of day from a Cornish fishery area.
The 38-year-old pleaded guilty to a total of 17 fishing offences brought on by the Cornwall Inshore Fisheries when he appeared before Truro Magistrates Court on March 21.
His offences are that between December 4-8, 2022, being the master of the British registered fishing vessel Alicja Rose BF71, used a vessel exceeding 16.46m overall length for fishing for shellfish within the district of the Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority. He also used a dredge to remove scallops at a prohibited time of day from a fishery within the district of the Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority.
Between December 13 and December 19, 2022 in Cornwall being the master of a vessel namely Alicja Rose BF71, which was fitted with an automatic identification system, failed to ensure that the said system was maintained in operation at all times. Contrary to Regulations 9 and 17(5) of the Merchant Shipping (Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Reporting Requirements) Regulations 2004.
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Between the same dates, he used a vessel exceeding 16.46m overall length for fishing for shellfish within the district of the Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority and used a dredge to remove scallops at a prohibited time of day.
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He was caught doing the same thing again on December 20, 2022 and again did not have his transponder on and was fishing with a vessel too big for the restricted area he was in. He also did not have an up-to-date logbook. He was also caught for similar offences between January 8 and January 11, 2023 and again between January 16 and 23.
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Finally, on January 24 at Truro he failed without reasonable cause to surrender to custody at Cornwall Magistrates' Court, having been released on bail in criminal proceedings on at Exeter Magistrates Court. He pleaded guilty to that charge too.
For the fishing offences, he was fined £16,046 and ordered to pay £1,000 a month from April 2 until it is repaid. For the custody offence, he was remanded in custody at the court house for a day.
