MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands fines Korean longliner

Korean longliner In Sung 66 was fined for fishing without licence in the Falkland Islands Conservation Zone June 23/25.

However since both the In Sung Corporation and Captain Yu pleaded guilty to the charge and cooperated by coming in to Stanley port voluntarily, fines were lesser than in other cases.

Falklands' Senior Magistrate Mrs. Claude Faulds fined In Sung Corporation £7.500, the Captain £ 500 with £ 1.000 prosecution costs and a forfeiture order.

Defendant Kevin Kilmartin argued that the boundary into the zone had been crossed by an error of calculation on the Captain's part.

Senior Magistrate Mrs Clare Faulds insisted that if the Captain chose to fish so close to a boundary then he was taking a risk.

In Sung 66 was sighted in the FOCZ by the Falklands' flagged longliner CFL Gambler and left the area as soon as it was detected on radar. Apparently it didn't pick up the lines with identity markings which were hauled by CFL Gambler including about 200 kilograms of toothfish.

A Falklands' Fisheries Department spokesperson confirmed the In Sung 66 entered port on Monday July 4 following a request to assist with the enquiry.

Allegedly a second vessel was sighted fishing in the FOCZ, but couldn't be identified and escaped given the very poor visibility at the time.

In Sung 66 left the Falklands last weekend.