Man prosecuted for illegal netting of bass at night in Tramore Bay, Co. Waterford

Press release, May 8th, 2014

At a sitting of the District Court held at Waterford on Wednesday 2nd May 2014, Mr. Brendan Keane, Kilcaragh, Grantstown, County Waterford was prosecuted by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) for illegal netting of bass in Tramore Bay, Co. Waterford. Mr. Keane pleaded guilty to possession of a net, use of a boat while illegal fishing, obstructing and impeding IFI officers all contrary to the 1959 Fisheries Consolidation Act and possession of nine bass contrary to a 2007 bye-law.

Mr. Tony O Dwyer, an Inspector with IFI, outlined in detail to Judge Kevin Staunton the complex series of events which unfolded when he and a colleague with co-operation from the Gardaí were investigating illegal netting of fish near Saleens, Co. Waterford at approximately 5 am on Sunday the 25th of August 2013. He and fishery officer Isaac Ferns came upon a situation where Mr. Keane and an accomplice were illegally fishing with a net and a small boat under cover of darkness at Saleen, Tramore, Co. Waterford. Mr. Keane began aggressively swinging an oar and roaring obscenities at the two IFI officers and was searching for his gun in the boat when they approached him as he came ashore. He and his accomplice retreated back to the open sea in the tiny unseaworthy boat putting them in extreme danger. The tiny craft was not capable of dealing with the sea conditions and Mr. Keane had no buoyancy aid or life jacket. The Gardaí were left with no choice but to alert the RNLI and Coastguard when what began as a fisheries investigation turned into a multi-agency marine search operation. The Coastguard was then left with no choice but to deploy the Coastguard helicopter as a precaution when Mr. Keane’s boat was found drifting without passengers while he and his accomplice were found safely ashore but refused to admit to the Gardaí that they were indeed the occupants of the now empty boat drifting at sea.

IFI staff seized the small craft and a 120 meter drift net along with 9 dead Bass during the investigation. Judge Kevin Staunton convicted Mr. Keane imposing a 4 months suspended sentence, fines totaling €3,000.00 and awarded expenses of €751.02 to Inland Fisheries Ireland. Mr. Keane’s boat and net were also forfeited.

The Director with Inland Fisheries Ireland Clonmel commented that the area in question is famous for having great stocks of bass, salmon and sea trout. Net fishing for Bass is illegal and such activity has the potential to do huge damage to stocks and IFI dedicate significant manpower and resources in trying to combat such activity. The sale of wild Irish Bass is also illegal and it is important that the public do not support illegal fishing by buying these fish. There are a limited number of traditional inshore salmon net fisheries licensed in Ireland. He wished to thank the dedication of members of the RNLI, the Coastguard, the Gardai and staff at IFI for undertaking what is difficult work in a challenging environment and how the various agency’s work co-operatively in protecting both the lives of people at sea and also our wonderful wild fishery.

…ENDS…

Media Enquiries

Suzanne Campion,
Head of Business Development,
Inland Fisheries Ireland,
Anglesea Street, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
Tel: 052 6180055 Fax: 052 6123971
Email: suzanne.campion@fisheriesireland.ie Website: www.fisheriesireland.ie

Inland Fisheries Ireland is a statutory body operating under the aegis of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and was established under the Fisheries Act on 1st July 2010. Its principal function is the protection and conservation of the inland fisheries resource. IFI promotes, supports, facilitates and advises the Minister on, the conservation, protection, management, development and improvement of inland fisheries, including sea angling. It also develops and advises the Minister on policy and national strategies relating to inland fisheries and sea angling. www.fisheriesireland.ie