The locations of protected waters around Scotland where illegal scallop dredging allegedly took place during lockdown have been obtained by The Ferret following a freedom of information request. The Ferret…
Posts Tagged ‘Illegal Fishing’
Albatross fitted with radar detectors to spot illegal fishing
Thursday, February 6th, 2020Albatross cops may soon be taking to the skies over the subantarctic Isles to scan remote parts of the Pacific Ocean for illegal fishing boats, new research has found. In…
Tonnes of fish discarded as bycatch in the UK, FOI finds
Thursday, October 31st, 2019Several thousand tonnes of dead fish have been illegally discarded as bycatch by trawlers in the North Sea and west coast of Scotland this year, a Freedom of Information request…
Rogue fishermen escape prosecution as fines fall
Tuesday, October 8th, 2019The number of fines issued to rogue fishermen has decreased over the past three years while skippers caught fishing in protected waters have not been reported to the procurator fiscal,…
Skippers breaking fishing laws are fined anonymously
Wednesday, August 14th, 2019Skippers who break fishing laws are escaping damaging publicity by agreeing to “anonymous” fines, environmental campaigners have warned. Charity Open Seas has called for those who commit crimes at sea…
FOI request reveals 112 incursions into Scottish MPAs
Monday, August 5th, 2019There have been 112 reports of incursions into Scotland’s protected seas over the past four years, prompting claims that rogue fishermen are increasingly involved in illegal scallop dredging and prawn…
Video evidence revals illegal scallop dredging off Jura
Wednesday, July 24th, 2019Video footage of damage to the seabed by illegal scallop dredging off Jura has been obtained by The Ferret, prompting calls for better enforcement action against rogue fisherman. In June…
Ban on illegal discard of fish at sea is not being enforced
Friday, July 19th, 2019Rules designed to protect fish stocks are failing to have an impact, leaving vessels free to discard unwanted catch, according to a report. Six months after the EU fish discards…
Scottish fisher fined for scallop dredging off Guernsey
Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019The skipper of a scallop dredger registered in Scotland has been fined £1,000 after being caught scallop dredging in territorial waters off Guernsey. Stephen Clasper, 54, is master of the…
Suspicious scallop dredging reported in Sound of Mull
Wednesday, February 27th, 2019Suspicious scallop dredging activity has taken place in the Sound of Mull, according to the campaign group, Open Seas, which claims that Scotland has a “systematic problem” with illegal dredging…