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Looks like DEFRA mean business - at long last.

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We'll see how serious they are when the sentences are handed out. Also, why has it taken since 2003 until now to get to court?

Early indications are that they are starting to clamp down a bit, but I think they've left it too late under the current regulations. I think they need to scrap the quota system and start afresh with rigourous enforcement. Punishing people now after turning a blind eye for so long is ridiculous.

However, it does seem as though the days of romantic views of good old "captain Birdseye" commercial fishermen are numbered. I've seen at first hand what this government can do, (or try to do), to the public's perception of certain sectors. The first step in destroying a sector, or in this case industry, always begins with turning public opinion against them.

I would expect to see more and more cases like this one, portraying commercial fishermen as greedy criminals, highlighted in the media over the coming year.

Accruing correct evidence for cases like this always takes time; it is good to see positive action being taken.

I do not see it as a government action to destroy the fishing industry, the laws were in place and it would seem that they have been broken by this group of fishermen.

I do not for one moment think all fishermen are tarred with the same brush.

Also read in the last couple of weeks in Scotland about the black fish market. Somebody is being prosecuted; it is estimated he has made some £million from his activities. I thought it was supposed to be the French and Spanish and Danish and everybody else except us?

A common misconception NB put about by our fishermen to pass the blame - PROPAGANDA I call it. Ourselves and spain are the only 2 countries reprimanded by the eu lately for problems relating to the cfp.

Like Steve says though we will know how serious the government are when it comes to punishment.

It's up to the courts @SPRING@, and the courts are independent of government.

All that the government can do is frame legislation, fix maximum penalties, and ensure enforcement.

But once miscreants are bought to court, they have no influence over whether individuals are found guilty or not, or what punishment is handed out.

And one of the reasons that DEFRA are moving towards decriminalising fisheries offences is that the courts have often seemed to be unreasonably lenient when dealing with fishery offences.

Some believe that administrative penalties would be more effective, taking away days at sea, quota etc.

But that's not popular with many fishermen who claim that DEFRA would then be acting as 'judge, jury and executioner', putting honest fishermen out of business for committing technical offences.

Tight Lines - leon

[ 17. May 2005, 04:27 PM: Message edited by: Leon Roskilly ]

:cool: I don't have a problem with portraying them as greedy, profiteers, raping the ocean at the cost of everyone else, because if they are guilty as charged then thats what they are, no sympathy, treat them as criminals, take away their boats, give them a £250,000 fine or 5 years in jail and ban them from the seas for 10 years, THEN I'll believe the courts are cracking down on illegal fishing, not when they dish out fines of £2,000 or less, what deterrant is that. It's not the press that turns the public against them, they do it themselves. If they take fish over quota, or take fish they are not entitled to take, or use illegal methods then they are criminals, thieves, poachers, call them what you like but they are criminals, no more of the skipper fishing to feed the country, they are fishing for profit and by breaking the law they are denying others of their share of the fish allocated to them. :mad: :mad:

[ 17. May 2005, 04:30 PM: Message edited by: Norm B ]

The thing is Norm, they've been doing it for so long, with the apparent blessing of the sea fisheries officers, that it has become the norm. Now they are trying to crack down on something that they've been happy to let go up until now.

They should have enforced it from the start, then the fishermen would have known where they stood. If they were to suddenly start strictly enforcing the quota system, they would kill the fishing industry overnight. They know this, and that's why they won't enforce it. The few fishermen being prosecuted now are a token, hollow, gesture. They are being made an example of in the hope that the media attention may deter a few more fishermen from breaking the rules.

I certainly cannot separate it from fraud and that is a criminal act.

It doesn't matter whether you defraud vat, inland rev or any other document falsification for gain it is a crime. If you get caught then you have to face the consequences.

Judges should be better informed about such matters if they have been dealing with this type of case to leniently.

I can't be bothered to comment except to say, If they have broken the law then the law is an ass.