Convictions Illegal bass fishing

From IFI Facebook page:

Inland Fisheries Ireland
Convictions and fines for two fishermen who used nets to catch bass.

Yesterday at Midleton District Court 2 fishermen were found guilty of using nets to catch bass. IFI Fisheries Officers observed the nets on the evening of 11 July 2011 and in the early hours of the next day apprehended the two men.

In evidence the Fisheries Officers stated that following a report they observed a net fixed out just off the shore at Aghada Power Station which was subsequently hauled into an unlighted punt used by the two fishermen in conjunction with a sea fishing boat which was also unlit. The officers quietly approached the punt in a protection boat and using a powerful hand-held spot light suddenly confronted the fishermen. The pair reacted by heaving a fish box containing approximately 20 Bass over the side of the punt into the water.

The fishermen, who retained a Solicitor to fully contest the offences on their behalf, stated that they were fishing for mullet and had taken the bass as a by-catch but had not had the opportunity to discard the Bass, which were in the fish box, before the Fishery Officers appeared on the scene.

Judge Olann Kelleher said he was satisfied that both men were guilty. For using a net to catch bass he fined each man €600 and ordered each man to pay €300 costs. He also made an Order for the Forfeiture of the nets.

A slap in the face for all of us law abiding anglers. Disgraceful to say the least!

They should have impounded the boats aswell, God knows how many times them baskets have been plundering

He should have cut something off them!!!

It may have been a dissapointing result but at least there was a fine of sorts and 600 euro is a lot of money these days no matter how many times these cowboys have netted bass in the past and now they have a record .At least its better than the culprits getting away unpunished or case been adjourned ,lets just hope that the bigger operators get hit much harder with proper punishment when or if there day in court ever arises in the future.
One thing though cant work this out ,these guys get done for 30 euro per fish and another well known "character" down here has been done for 3k for 3 bass a few years back,guess its down to the judges in charge or maybe if a person has previous or not.

It may have been a dissapointing result but at least there was a fine of sorts and 600 euro is a lot of money these days no matter how many times these cowboys have netted Bass in the past and now they have a record .At least its better than the culprits getting away unpunished or case been adjourned ,lets just hope that the bigger operators get hit much harder with proper punishment when or if there day in court ever arises in the future.
One thing though cant work this out ,these guys get done for 30 euro per fish and another well known "character" down here has been done for 3k for 3 Bass a few years back,guess its down to the judges in charge or maybe if a person has previous or not.

Please let me follow up your post with a recent quote to the same subject taken from here:
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=38203

after arresting two scumbags with a box of Bass charging them getting them to court,only for a judge to fine them 600euros about the same money they would get for 1 nights poaching.now put yourself in the officers shoes .how would you feel? what sort of job satisfaction would you have .leaving your family at night to confront 2 scumbags in the dark for a 600 fine the cost of this opperation will have cost us as taxpayers thousands of euros.

I can only fully agree with the quote stated above. Furthermore, 30 euro per fish is nothing compared to market prices for bass of 36€ per kilo in average! That's still a pretty good margin, even after fines, and these guys are surely laughing at us and the system all the way to the bank!
I invite you to perform a simple online research on the market price of line caught Atlantic sea bass to see for yourself. This verdict is nothing short of shameful and an unspoken invitation to do more poaching, especially now when even the price tag for these criminal activities has been unveiled!

While I would like to have seen a bigger fine I dont think those guys were laughing afterwards.
Fined €600 each, plus € 300 costs each, plus the cost of their own solicitor plus the confication of the net. I have no idea of the size of the net nor its cost but I am sure it would have been pricy enough. So it was costly day for them and hopefully will make them think twice about targeting bass in the future

Agree with Rockhunter. Vengeance aside, its more important the case got maximum publicity to send a warning to others. Did it get much coverage?

Nets aren't that pricey there are plenty of lads able to make their own nets . You could make a 16 ft net with a six foot drop for roughly 50 euro. Still I'm sure the fisheries board will be on them everytime they go near the water and the shame of having their name on the paper is some concilation .

Its great to see a couple of scumbags getting caught, but i dont think its enough to put them or others off. I would like to see the boats, and if possible, any trailers and cars/jeeps/vans taken off them. While 900 euros plus other costs is a lot of money, i few nights netting will make them a lot more than that. And as a lot of you know only too well, its only the tip of the iceberg. The fines have to be increased, property confiscated and the business's/persons receiving illegal bass have to be hit as well. Its a pity that the fisheries didnt video them and watch to see were these fish end up. More and more people are taking to this type of activity and you have to set an example now, not when its too late.

I can only fully agree with the quote stated above. Furthermore, 30 euro per fish is nothing compared to market prices for Bass of 36€ per kilo in average! That's still a pretty good margin, even after fines, and these guys are surely laughing at us and the system all the way to the bank! I invite you to perform a simple online research on the market price of line caught Atlantic sea Bass to see for yourself. This verdict is nothing short of shameful and an unspoken invitation to do more poaching, especially now when even the price tag for these criminal activities has been unveiled!

Don't need to do any research on the prices of bass as i can see the price it makes on a daily basis in the local fishmongers and supermarkets.Im not going to get into a debate about suitable punishments but at least its some form of deterrant and with recent developments that are filtering through the grapevine down here in cork at least a dedicated team have now been set up to tackle the big netting problem so future netters will need to be extra vigilent.

you feel that if it was trout or samon the fines would have been greather.But i have witness so call anglers taking bass in the spawning months with little regard for the future of the fish.

Delighted to see this . At least there was a conviction!! It may make it more viable for the fisheries officers to take a court case in future. Well done to them and great to see the law taking some action