French fishermen fined £84k for fishing in Jersey waters

Two French fishermen were fined £84,000 in Jersey’s Royal Court today, after pleading guilty to beam trawling in Jersey waters. The men were on the trawler, ‘Louis Pauline’, in June 2015 before being caught by Fishery Officers within the Jersey Territorial Sea. Data showed that the same trawler had fished in the Jersey and French parts of the Granville Bay area on 14 other occasions in the same year.

It was also revealed that 13.4 tonnes of fish from these trips was sold for €72,520.

The vessel owner, David Sylla, was fined a total of £37,500 and £2,000 costs.

His skipper, Jonathan Burnel, was fined £40,000 and £4,500 costs,

This complex investigation demonstrates how modern technology such as satellite monitoring and electronic reporting can be used to provide evidence and prevent illegal fishing to protect marine resources and the environment. The Court has sent a clear message that breaking fishing regulations and failing to use electronic systems correctly will be taken seriously.

Click here to read more