Overfishing costs skipper £26,000

A skipper from Northern Ireland has been fined £26,000 after unlawfully fishing for Queenies in Manx waters.

54-year-old Christopher Heslip, who’s from Kilkeel, breached the conditions of his licence on numerous occasions between August 23^rd and September 10^th last year.

His boat – the Highland Queen – exceeded its catch limit for Queen Scallops by almost 14,000 kilograms.

The overfishing, which was carried out near Port St Mary, netted Heslip around £13,000.

At Douglas Courthouse today Heslip pleaded guilty to unlicensed fishing – the court was told he’d also fished on a Saturday, which is prohibited, and during curfew periods.

His advocate said Heslip had been relying on his radar to determine his position as his plotter, which is more accurate, wasn’t working adding it was never his intention to fish illegally.

He said at no time had Heslip set out to “deliberately break the law” saying he’d now taken steps to mitigate against technical failures.

Sentencing him Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes questioned why he’d continued to fish when his equipment was broken saying “you should, quite frankly, have stopped”.

Fining him, and ordering him to pay £50 in prosecution costs, she told him “You rode roughshod over the rules for your own profit”.