Two French fishermen have been sentenced for retaining undersized spider crab onboard their boat – prompting a reminder from Marine Resources on the importance of sticking to rules “underpinning” the sustainability of Jersey’s fish stocks.
Guillaume Levee and Jonathan Dramard both entered guilty pleas in the Magistrate’s Court, and were fined £1,500 each.
Following questions from Express, the Infrastructure and Environment Department confirmed that “the fishers who were in court on Monday are from a French port fishing on a French vessel that is licensed to fish in our waters by Jersey”.
In a statement, Marine Resources said: “Minimum size limits for fish and shellfish exist so that species can have the opportunity to reproduce.
“They are a key management measure underpinning the sustainability of our fish stocks.”
The statement added that Marine Resources “takes the protection of juvenile fish and shellfish seriously”.
“It is therefore important that people adhere to the sizes,” it continued, noting that the legal minimum size limits can be found online.
Last week, Environment Minister Steve Luce told the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel that fishing activity was monitored “regularly”.
“We board boats and if there are any infractions, we take action,” he said.