Northumberland fisherman ordered to pay £2,000 after breaching lobster rules

At North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, Michael Bye, a recreational shellfish permit holder from Rosalind Street, Ashington, pleaded guilty by post to breaching two by-laws – a prosecution was brought by Northumberland Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NIFCA).

The authority’s barrister, Vanessa Crossley, told the court that on September 3 last year, NIFCA officers spotted a small single white marker buoy with no identification markers visible – contrary to the by-law – while on a routine patrol near Cresswell.

There were five pots found, three of which did not have escape gaps fitted as required by another by-law, while the remaining two had escape gaps fitted but purposely obstructed.

Mr Bye, 35, was identified as the owner of the pots due to the attached tags and was invited to attend an interview at the NIFCA office in Blyth, where he admitted the offences but did not accept a fine.

NIFCA’s chief officer, Al Browne, said: “Northumberland IFCA and its officers take the breach of any NIFCA by-law very seriously, particularly one such as this which is designed to conserve and protect fishing stocks for current and future generations of fishers, as well as for the benefit of the marine environment.

“In this case, because the defendant ignored the advice he had received when he had attended the NIFCA office to purchase his 2019 recreational shellfish permit and the fact that he had wilfully obstructed escape gaps which he had fitted, preventing immature, small lobsters and specified shellfish from escaping capture, the authority felt that when Mr Bye refused a financial administrative penalty which he was offered, the matter was so serious that it had to be dealt with by the magistrates’ court.

“Mr Bye was found guilty in his absence by the magistrates and fined a total of £750 for both offences plus NIFCA costs of £800, legal costs of £675 and victim surcharge of £75 making a total of £2,300.

“Hopefully this will send out a very clear message as to how seriously an offence of this nature is viewed.”