Detained ship previously fined for secret fish hold

A SPANISH "flagship", fined £22,500 by the State two months ago for having a secret fish hold aboard, is one of two fishing vessels detained by the Naval Service yesterday off the south coast.

The Juan Mari, Spanish owned but registered in Britain, was apprehended by the LE Ciara 40 miles south east of the Fast net Rock yesterday and detained for alleged logbook offences.

A second vessel, the Spanish registered Faro de Silleiro, was also detained by the LE Ciara for allegedly obstructing a sea fishery officer.

It is understood the crew was unable to exit from the wheel house on to the deck to, welcome the Naval Service boarding party.

The ship is one of the 20 recent Spanish constructions designed for the Gran Sol grounds south of Ireland, which was financed by EU and Spanish national and regional grant aid.

This brings to 16 the number of fishing vessels detained by the Naval Service this year. Most were apprehended by the LE Ciara.

The Juan Mari, which works out of the Basque port of Ondarroa, earned a European reputation in 1993 when a secret fish hold on the ship was filmed by the ITV Cook Report team. The television team was intimidated for its efforts to highlight a practice first exposed by this State's Naval Service in 1992.

A copy of the programme was given to the European Commission by the British government.

The vessel was also boarded by the LE Orla in the same year, when some 15 such "secret hold" cases were, recorded within a 12 month period. However, a different secret compartment was identified then suitable for storing under sized or over quota fish. Two years ago, the Government sought to eradicate the practice by multiplying the fines for fishery offences - to a maximum of £200,000 for secret holds or "incorrect capacity plans".

Last November, the LE Aisling under Lieut Cdr Liam Donaldson apprehended the ship 30 miles west of the Blaskets. Following a two hour search by the Naval Service boarding party, a secret compartment within the fuel tank area at the vessel's stern was identified. There was no fish in the hold. In Galway Circuit Court in January, the skipper of the Juan Mari pleaded guilty to two charges. Judge Diarmuid Sheridan described the concealed compartment as a "serious matter", and in addition to the £22,500 fine he ordered the forfeiture of the vessel's catch and gear valued at £14,500 and ruled that the skipper pay £1,500 costs incurred by the State.