Anglo-Spanish fishing racket ordered to pay record £1.6m fine

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jul/26/anglo-spanish-fishing-fine


Spanish fishing vessel O Genita at Lochinver port, Scotland, on 16 september 2012. Photograph: Greenpeace

A judge has ordered a Spanish fishing company, its British subsidiary and the skippers of two boats that were caught fishing illegally in British waters to pay fines and costs totalling a record-breaking £1.6m.

The operation was accused of endangering stocks of ling and hake, two vulnerable species, and putting the livelihoods of other fishermen at risk by flooding the market with cheaper fish.

Passing sentence at Truro crown court, Judge Graham Cottle called it a "flagrant, repeated and long-term abuse of the regulations".

The operation came to light after the Royal Navy's patrol vessel HMS Tyne carried out a routine search of the fishing boat Coyo Tercero, owned by the Spanish company Hijos de Vidal Bandin, off the Isles of Scilly.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Good

Spanish fishermen are a fucking nuisance in this respect.

[GliderGuider]

2. We have similar experiences in Canada

Spanish fishers seem to be the most flagrant violators of international law. We had what were called the "turbot wars" here, when the Spanish were fishing for turbot with illegal nets. Our Federal Minster of Fisheries, Brian Tobin, did a very nice photo op with some captured Spanish nets that had small-mesh liners.

[xchrom]

3. i remember the turbot wars.

i suppose the government is watching the spanish fishing fleet more closely -- or do you know?

[GliderGuider]

4. I don't know if we're keeping a special eye on the Spanish these days

The Canadian Coast Guard and Navy keep an eye out for all fishing violations of course. They could be keeping special watch for Spanish activity but if they were paying particular attention to one nation it would cause an incident if they acknowledged it. I think they only announce it when they want to create an incident in order to warn off repeat violators.

[xchrom]

5. ah. of course -- that makes sense. nt

[pscot]

6. Greenpeace can photograph the future?

Technology is truely marvelous.