A man was fined a total of €750 with €500 costs by when he pleaded guilty to five illegal fishing offences.
The defendant was observed by fishery officers taking fish from a net off Carne Pier on June 4, 2004 when he was not licensed to do so.
The defendant's solicitor said the officers arrived at the pier at 7.45 a.m. He saw the defendant going out in a boat at 9 a.m. and taking in a haul from a net and setting a second net. He did not have a licence and was not entitled by law to engage in net fishing.
She said he caught a sea trout, some sea bass and other fish. The boat and nets were confiscated. He had previous convictions for fishery offences.
The defendant's solicitor said her client apologised to the court. He was fishing for recreational purposes only.
The nets were designed to catch dog fish and the amount of fish he caught was quite small.
The boat and nets confiscated by the Eastern Regional Fishery Board were estimated to be worth €3,500. The defendant undertook not to fish in that area again.