Identified Infringements
Illegal fishing contributes to the overfishing of valuable fish stocks, many of which are at dangerously depleted levels. Very limited data on convictions for serious infringements (illegal fishing) has been compiled from France, Spain and the UK. Unlike data on fisheries subsidies, it is not official data obtained directly from governments but information collected manually from government websites, press reports and court records. It is therefore certain to be incomplete.
The table below shows vessels that have received fisheries subsidies and have been convicted of serious infringements.
| Date | Vessel Name | Total Subsidy | Home Port | Country | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2009 | ZERUKO ERREGIÑA | €2,596.89 | Bermeo | Spain | Fishing in prohibited area
Sanction: Confiscation of catch, €700 fine Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| March 2009 | ALBA DO MAR | €192,984.15 | Ondarroa | Spain | Use of illegal fishing gear
Sanction: €10,000 deposit Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| February 2009 | ADMIRAL BLAKE | €2,927.07 | Plymouth | United Kingdom | 2 counts keeping inaccurate logbook; 3 counts of fishing in closed area; non-designated port: breach of fishing license
Sanction: £40,224.72 fine Skipper/Owner: IF Ltd |
| February 2009 | ADMIRAL GORDON | €48,809.93 | Plymouth | United Kingdom | 4 counts of keeping inaccurate logbook; retaining Megrim in ICES zone VIII: breach of fishing license
Sanction: £13,788.13 fine Skipper/Owner: IF Ltd |
| November 2008 | CIUDAD DE CARTAGENA | €540,592.91 | Cartagena | Spain | Illegal fishing in Maltese EEZ
Sanction: unknown Skipper/Owner: Antonio Hernandez |
| January 2008 | BEN LOYAL | €48,000.30 | Wick | United Kingdom | 11 counts of submitting false landing declarations
Sanction: £23,750 fine Skipper/Owner: Donald Turtle, Joan Turtle |
| January 2008 | CKS | €26,598.41 | Penzance | United Kingdom | 6 counts of submitting false landing declarations
Sanction: £13,400 fine Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| January 2008 | GIRL PATRICIA | €12,053.89 | Penzance | United Kingdom | 9 counts of submitting false landing declarations
Sanction: £32,000 fine Skipper/Owner: Leonard Williams |
| July 2007 | VISPON | €932,779.84 | La Coruna | Spain | Misreporting of catches
Sanction: Lost deposit (unknown amount) Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| June 2007 | BILLY ROWNEY | €46,620.01 | Penzance | United Kingdom | Illegal mesh size, misreporting on logbook
Sanction: €25,495 fine (confiscation of fish), €20,000 deposit, €5,800 fine, €2,000 punitive damages Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| April 2007 | BEN LOYAL | €48,000.30 | Wick | United Kingdom | Fishing beyond quota, misdeclaration of catch
Sanction: part of £41,000 fine for the company which had several vessels and companies involved in the case. Skipper/Owner: Donald Turtle, Joan Turtle |
| April 2007 | CKS | €26,598.41 | Penzance | United Kingdom | Fishing beyond quota, misdeclaration of catch
Sanction: part of £41,000 fine for the company which had several vessels and companies involved in the case. Skipper/Owner: W. Stevenson and Sons |
| April 2007 | GIRL PATRICIA | €12,053.89 | Penzance | United Kingdom | Fishing beyond quota, misdeclaration of catch
Sanction: part of £41,000 fine for the company which had several vessels and companies involved in the case. Skipper/Owner: W. Stevenson and Sons |
| March 2007 | WODAN | €346,062.96 | Zeebrugge | Belgium | Illegal trawl mesh size
Sanction: Confiscation of catch (10 metric tons) and gear Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| November 2006 | AROSA DOCE | €269,628.70 | La Coruna | Spain | Illegal fishing and misreporting of catches in the logbook
Sanction: €4.6 million fines for infringements involving three vessels from the same owner Skipper/Owner: Transpesca |
| November 2006 | AROSA NUEVE | €250,115.42 | La Coruna | Spain | Illegal fishing and misreporting of catches in the logbook
Sanction: €4.6 million fines for infringements involving three vessels from the same owner Skipper/Owner: Transpesca |
| November 2006 | AROSA QUINCE | €282,872.77 | La Coruna | Spain | Illegal fishing and misreporting of catches in the logbook
Sanction: €1.9 million fine Skipper/Owner: Transpesca |
| November 2006 | LANFON | €220,227.00 | Ondarroa | Spain | Use of illegal fishing gear, attempt to escape control
Sanction: not known Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| September 2006 | SIEMPRE MAITE | €846,784.67 | Santander | Spain | Illegal trawlnet size, illegal gear
Sanction: Confiscation of catch, €10,000 deposit Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| June 2006 | PORS PIRON | €39,551.01 | Lorient | France | Fishing after quota has been exhausted, default in staff qualification
Sanction: €7,000 fine for skipper, €3,000 fine for mecanical, €10,000 fine for punitive damages Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| February 2006 | PLAYA DE ARBEYAL | €631,975.49 | Gijon | Spain | Unreporting, misreporting, illegal mesh size
Sanction: €30,000 fine Skipper/Owner: Juan Carlos Calvo Rey |
| December 2005 | GALAECIA | €1,511,808.00 | Ceuta | Spain | Transshipment from a boat that is on CCAMLR list of boats that practice IUU fishing
Sanction: not known Skipper/Owner: Vidal Armadores S.A. |
| November 2005 | MONTE MEIXUEIRO | €1,228,992.00 | Vigo | Spain | Illegal fishing and illegal discard practice in Norwegian waters
Sanction: not known Skipper/Owner: Valiela S.A. |
| June 2005 | IZAR ALDE | €4,358.05 | Bermeo | Spain | Fishing in Portuguese waters without license
Sanction: €1,300 fine Skipper/Owner: Jesus Manuel Tejido Breijo |
| June 2005 | MONTE ARBALLU | €6,870.89 | Arrecife De Lanzarote | Spain | Fishing in Portuguese waters without license
Sanction: not known Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| April 2005 | GURE REINARE | €768,503.12 | Ondarroa | Spain | Illegal fishing in French waters, use of illegal fishing gears
Sanction: €40,000 deposit, fine unkown Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| April 2005 | HODEIERTZA | €1,269,706.25 | Ondarroa | Spain | Illegal fishing in French waters, use of illegal fishing gears
Sanction: €60,000 deposit, fine unknown Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| February 2005 | CATEAR | €496,221.82 | Brixham | United Kingdom | 3 unspecified offenses, fishing gear not compliant with EU laws
Sanction: €36,000 deposit, confiscation of trawlnet Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| July 2004 | GALAECIA | €1,511,808.00 | Ceuta | Spain | Manipulating satellite control device, obstruction of inspection
Sanction: €120,000 fine, suspension of fishing authorization for 6 months Skipper/Owner: Vidal Armadores S.A. |
| February 2004 | DANIELLE | €1,343.81 | Brixham | United Kingdom | Fishing in French territorial waters without authorization, attempt to escape the control
Sanction: Confiscation of fish (€5,350), €16,800 deposit, €5,000 fine, €5,000 punitive damages Skipper/Owner: Peter Mc Leod |
| December 2003 | PLAYA DE ARBEYAL | €631,975.49 | Gijon | Spain | Possession of 2,5 tonnes of cocaine on board
Sanction: not known Skipper/Owner: Juan Carlos Calvo Rey |
| November 2003 | MINCHOS NOVENO | €1,146,430.59 | Cillero | Spain | Illegal mesh size, unreporting
Sanction: Confiscation of vessels, fishing gears and catch Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| November 2003 | MINCHOS SEPTIMO | €956,330.46 | Cillero | Spain | Illegal mesh size, unreporting
Sanction: Confiscation of vessels, fishing gears and catch Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| January 2003 | OP HOOP VAN ZEGEN | €287,464.28 | Zeebrugge | Belgium | Illegal fishing in French territorial waters
Sanction: €30,000 fine Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| January 2003 | SHANNON | €29,944.42 | Zeebrugge | Belgium | Illegal catches of Anglerfish and scallop
Sanction: Confiscation of catch, €20,000 deposit, €38,000 fine for the skipper Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| April 2002 | PLAYA DE ARBEYAL | €631,975.49 | Gijon | Spain | Fishing over quota
Sanction: not known Skipper/Owner: Juan Carlos Calvo Rey |
| November 2001 | LANPIMAR | €323,789.90 | Santoña | Spain | Illegal fishing within French territorial waters
Sanction: Confiscation of catch and gear, fine unknown Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| September 2001 | MARIE-CATHERINE | €54,325.11 | Concarneau | France | Misreporting on logbook, use of prohibited fishing gear
Sanction: 110,000 French francs fine and legals costs, 50,000 French francs technical costs Skipper/Owner: David Leroy |
| July 2001 | CIBELES | €102,571.92 | Burela | Spain | Misreporting on logbook
Sanction: €762 deposit Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| June 2001 | PUNTA DE SAN MARTIN | €482,356.00 | Ceuta | Spain | Use of illegal gear
Sanction: 100,000 French francs deposit Skipper/Owner: Not known |
| March 2001 | SIEMPRE AUSTERA | €86,201.41 | Aviles | Spain | Misreporting on logbook
Sanction: deposit Skipper/Owner: Not known |