The masters and owners of nine Whitby (UK) trawlers have been convicted for illegally landing ''blackfish'' worth £149,589 and fined a total of £122,800 plus costs of £40,000.
According to a statement from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) the fish were landed without being recorded or declared as legally required. DEFRA fisheries inspectors found substantial amounts of undeclared fish after obtaining relevant documentation.
The offences took place over a 10-week period in 2003 and the convictions were handed down at the beginning of December 2005.
Colin George, a DEFRA fisheries Inspector, said: "Landing fish without declaring it is cheating other fishermen. It undermines the genuine efforts of the Government working with the fishing industry to sustain our fisheries and secure a profitable future. Landings of illegal, undeclared fish can undermine the price of legally landed fish. This can, and will, seriously affect the future of the fishing industry. The Government will prosecute those who choose to disregard the law."
