A Scottish-registered fishing vessel arrested for log book infringements off the Donegal coast on Tuesday night was found on Thursday to have two secret holds containing 70 tonnes of fish, a court heard.
The skipper of the MVF Antarctic, Mr John William Stewart of Walmsy, Shetland was ordered to lodge a £701,512 bond for the release of his vessel at Letterkenny District Court on Thursday, pending a hearing of the charges against him on July 13th.
A bond of £5,351,512 was sought by State Solicitor Ms Marianne Dee to allow the vessel to leave Rathmullan, because forfeiture of the 62-metre vessel could be ordered in the event of a conviction.
Mr Dermot Barry, solicitor for the skipper, objected that a £5 million bond was unjust.
Ms Dee said that under the 1996 legislation the Circuit Court had the power to order forfeiture.
The value of the catch, gear, potential penalties and costs were agreed between the State and skipper at £351,512. Judge John O'Donnell set the bond at the agreed value plus £350,000. The skipper was released on his own bond of £100.
The log book infringements were detected by the Irish fishery protection vessel, LE Deirdre, which escorted the Antarctic into Rathmullan. There its official catch of 180 tonnes of mackerel was removed and disposed of by agreement with an Irish company.
The two secret holds were discovered as gardai continued their inspection. The MFV Antarctic was sold by the McHugh brothers of Killybegs to Mr Stewart and five others in 1997. Mr Stewart told the court the company which owned the vessel had no other assets and he wanted to return home to Shetland.
Judge O'Donnell said he had to provide for the eventuality that a forfeiture order might be made, but agreed the bond could be reduced on the instructions of the Attorney General.
The MFV Antarctic is the eighth vessel to be arrested in Irish waters this year.