The fish merchant, Duncan Grant from Rye in Sussex, was ordered to pay over £8,500 in fines and costs for failing to submit sales notes on time.

And Skipper Samuel Baird of Kirkcudbright, master of the of the scallop dredger, Vertrouwen, and the owners Scott Trawlers of Peterhead  were ordered to pay a total of £6,277 in fines and costs by Brighton Magistrates on 3 June for retaining undersize scallops.

In the case of the Sussex fish merchant Mr Grant, of St Leonard’s on Sea, Hastings pleaded guilty on behalf of the company  to 20 specimen charges of failing to submit sales notes within the 48 hours required by law.

Brighton Magistrates, heard some sales notes had been submitted three months late which meant fish quota managers were unable to keep accurate records of fish caught and quota uptake. That, the court was told,  could have lead to the UK overfishing its quota and being penalised by the European Commission.He was fined £3,340 with costs of £5,193.52 plus a £15 victim surcharge fee.

In the scallop dredger  case the court heard that in September 2009, during a routine port inspection of the Vertrouwen at Shoreham, 43 per cent of the scallops retained on board were below the minimum landing size of 110 mm for the eastern Channel. The court heard scallops were protected by a minimum size determined by scientists to ensure stocks remained healthy and plentiful, and that, when returned to the sea their survival rates were good.Samuel Baird,was fined £300 with £100 costs and £15 victim surcharge. Scott Trawlers  were fined £2,000, with £3,847 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

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