Skipper fined for illegal fishing in Caithness waters
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A skipper who fished in a protected conservation area off Caithness has been fined £5000.
Gary Bruce (43) pleaded guilty at Wick Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Neil Wilson heard that the accused had dredged for scallops in the Noss Head Marine Protected area adjacent to Wick, on October 10, 2021.
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Bruce landed his catch for the Silver Fern's trip which began on October 5, at Wick.
Replying to the sheriff, Fiscal depute Grant McLennan said he was unable to say what percentage of the catch related to the illegal fishing.
Mr McLennan commented on the impact dredging would have had on the scallop beds.
Bruce, of Duffy Terrace, Cairnbulg, was offered a fixed penalty of £4000 but did not pay it and the matter was referred to the court.
An arrest warrant was issued for the skipper after he failed to appear at Wick previously, and he spent a night in prison at Inverness.
Solicitor Fiona MacDonald said that Bruce had "got his co-ordinates wrong" and had not realised he was inside the conversation area.
However he accepted responsibility for having been there.
She added that the accused had since moved to skipper another boat and his earnings were £35,000 a year before tax.
Sheriff Wilson told Bruce that, as an experienced skipper, he "knew full well" that he was in a protected area and must have been aware of the damage dredging there could do to the scallop beds.
The sheriff said that he had taken £8000 as a starting point for the fine but took into account that Bruce had spent a night in custody and would reduce the figure to £5000.
