Owner and Master of Fishing Vessel Southern Spirit E333 fined £46,328 including £4,500 compensation for a potter who had suffered pot losses.
The Owner and the Master of the 14.99m Fishing Vessel Southern Spirit E333 have been fined £46,328 including £4,500 payable in compensation for a potter who had suffered pot losses.
On 23rd April 2026, Plymouth Magistrates’ Court heard about repeated illegal incursions by fishing vessel Southern Spirit E333 into a Marine Protected Area in South Devon. The case involved the illegal use of 12 scallop dredges over sensitive, vulnerable and highly designated features within the Skerries Bank and Surrounds Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ). During six fishing trips in March 2025, there were incursions into the MCZ on 10 separate days.
In 2018 D&S IFCA introduced a requirement for all mobile fishing vessels over 6.99 metres, operating at sea in its District, to have Inshore Vessel Monitoring System (IVMS) fitted which must be fully functional when a mobile fishing vessel is at sea and transmit the positional data every three minutes within Marine Protected Areas.
The use of IVMS data was a key part of the investigation. Following reports of pot losses in the area, it was the analysis of IVMS data, after the incursions had occurred in March 2025, that led to a full investigation.
Image above: IVMS tracks from FV Southern Spirit E333 within an MPA (red area).
Evidence provided to the Court showed that even a single pass of a trawl or dredge can remove around half of the benthic abundance and a third of the species richness, with recovery taking years.
Chief Officer, Matthew Mander said:
“This case represents a serious case of environmental damage and significant financial gain. Without D&S IFCA’s permit conditions requiring robust vessel monitoring, including the transmission of the vessel’s positional data at three minute intervals when in a Marine Protected Area, the offence would not have been detected. D&S IFCA has been leading on the development and use of technology to monitor fishing activity and this case is a clear example of why such an approach is necessary. I am also pleased that the Court awarded compensation to the potter that had lost a considerable amount of fishing gear as a result of the illegal activity”.
Other Information
To find more information about the Enforcement Team, and the legislation that they enforce, please visit our Enforcement and Legislation website page (and sub-menu).
D&S IFCA’s Enforcement work is targeted and intelligence led. If you suspect illegal fishing activity or have a general query, then please do not hesitate to get in contact with us. D&S IFCA has a “Reporting Illegal Fishing” website page that includes an Intelligence Gathering Form which allows users to report incidents anonymously.
D&S IFCA has an out of hours duty phone number: 07740 175479. You can also email: intel@devonandsevernifca.gov.uk
To find out more about D&S IFCA’s investigations and the outcomes of investigations please visit our Investigations Outcomes website page.
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