Scam fishermens' assets frozen

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The Assets Recovery Agency has frozen the assets of three County Down fishermen as part of a crackdown on a fish quota scam.

The agency obtained restraint orders against three men, including a father and son, from the Kilkeel area.

Investigators moved in after they were convicted at Liverpool Crown Court in January of landing fish stocks in excess of their permitted quotas.

The prosecution was brought by the Marine and Fisheries Agency.

It was over inaccurate landing declarations involving 12 vessels - some owned by the defendants - over a period stretching back to October 2003.

In the latest development, property identified as belonging to Charles Leslie McBride, Charles Hubert McBride and Leslie Girvan were restrained.

The order also covers two firms - McBride Fishing Company, of which the father and son are joint directors, and Girvan's Kilkeel Fish Selling Company.

The ARA inquiry is centred on whether or not the men benefited from the illegal activity of under-declaring the nature and value of fishing catches when landing fishing vessels at Kilkeel and Whitehaven, Cumbria - a practice commonly known as landing "black" fish.

All three pleaded guilty in January to several specimen charges of making inaccurate declarations.

Sentencing is due in December at the conclusion of the confiscation proceedings.

ARA deputy director of operations Charlie Dickin, said: "This is one of three cases where we have worked alongside the Marine and Fisheries Agency.

'Criminal conduct'

"(It) shows our determination to recover the proceeds from all types of illegal activity including those that threaten sustainable fish stocks.

"This restraint order will prevent dissipation or disposal of the assets belonging to the respective defendants while we continue with our investigation to establish the full extent of the benefit obtained from their criminal conduct."

Mike Parker, the Marine and Fisheries Agency district inspector, added that such cases were crucial.

"We regard this as a serious case of cheating the system which is designed to safeguard fish stocks and thus protect the livelihoods of fishermen," he said.

"This type of prosecution is necessary to prevent the unlawful landing of species that are subject to quota limits.

"The restraint and confiscation of assets will send out a clear message to those involved in similar activity that the government is resolute in its approach to recover the proceeds of crime from such behaviour."