Case against Dutch supertrawler adjourned until March

A prosecution against one of the largest trawlers in the world – the Dutch-owned Annelies Ilena – was adjourned at Donegal Circuit Court today.
The Master of the super-trawler, 57 year old Gerrit Plug, is accused of breaches of EU fishing regulations off Tory Island last month.
The vessel is free to continue fishing on €250,000 bail set by the High Court.
It is accused of discarding smaller fish in breach of EU regulations and failing to make the correct log-book entry on November 22.
The prosecution allege the Master high-graded the catch by discarding smaller horse-mackerel or scads, and retaining larger fish to increase the value of the catch.
Both prosecution and defence agreed to an adjournment to the next sitting of the Circuit Court in Donegal town on March 25.
The 144-metre, 14,000 tonne Annelies Ilena was detained at the time of the alleged offences by the Irish Naval Service. The trawler was previously known as the Atlantic Dawn when it operated out of Killybegs.