Erris fishermen fined for drift-net fishing

Erris fishermen fined for drift net fishing


THREE fishermen who were caught drift net fishing off the Erris coast were fined after they pleaded guilty to the offence at last week’s sitting of Belmullet District Court.
SeΡn O’Donnell of Porturlin, Seamus O’Malley of Carrowtigue and Kevin McGrath of Portacloy all appeared before the court charged with the possession of an illegal drift net while fishing off Porturlin in north Mayo.
Inspector Michael Hughes of Inland Fisheries Ireland told the court he was on duty on a cliff top at Porturlin on July 26, 2014 at 4.30am as part of the preparations for a sea patrol. At 5.20am, he explained he observed a boat going 2,000 yards to sea and turn back. He added he then saw a net being attached to a buoy and the boat reversed to straighten the net. At 6.20am, he said he got a call to saw the boat patrol was in the area and saw the men put something in a blue barrel. He said he contacted the boat patrol and instructed them to board the fishing boat.
Inspector Hughes said they found three salmon in a 45 gallon barrel drum and the net was a commercial drift net measuring 1,200 yards long. He told Judge Deirdre Gearty that drift net fishing has been banned since 2007 in order to protect fish stocks along estuaries. Mr O’Malley was the only one of the three men with a previous fishing related conviction dating back to 2005.
Mr Michael Bohan, solicitor for the three men said they were former drift net fishermen which was a tradition in the area before the ban. He added that the three men indicated straight away that they would plead guilty.
Mr O’Donnell he said was 23 years old and working in a job bridge scheme while Mr McGrath was in his forties and single and Mr O’Malley was 36 and married with two young children. Mr Bohan added that neither were men of means and fully accepted what they did was wrong.
Judge Deirdre Gearty commented that three salmon was not ‘the biggest haul of the year’ and said there would not be any heavy fines. Mr O’Malley was fined €100 and ordered to pay €250 costs while both Mr McGrath and O’Donnell received a €50 fine each and ordered to pay €250 costs.