Two UK fishermen have admitted making false declarations about fish worth more than £7 million (€8.1 million/$11.1 million) which they landed.
Victor Buschini and Hamish Slater, masters of the Fraserburgh boat Enterprise, made the "black fish" landings on Shetland.
The landings of mackerel and herring were at Lerwick between 2002 and 2005, the High Court in Edinburgh heard.
They were made at Shetland Catch Ltd, which previously pleaded guilty to assisting skippers commit the crime.
Sentence on Slater, of Fraserburgh, and Buschini, of Hambleton, Lancashire, was deferred until 10 January.
The judge, Lord Turnbull, commented that "a sophisticated and commercial operation" was involved.
Scott Pattison, director of operations at the Crown Office, said: "The consequences of over-fishing on this scale are far-reaching and the impact on fish stocks and the marine environment is potentially devastating."
[Source: BBC News]
