A man who broke the fishing laws at Warren Beach catching protected sea bass was ordered to pay €300 to the Court Poor Box.

Ergys Gucija, of Kinsale Road Accomodation Centre, Ballyphehane, was ordered to make the payment at Clonakilty District Court. 

In a case brought by Inland Fisheries Ireland, the court heard that Mr Gucja broke the law by catching more than the legal limit of two sea bass, while all the fish he caught was below the permitted size of 42 centimetres.

Giving evidence a fisheries officer said: ‘A colleague and I were on patrol in an unmarked vehicle.

At 3.10pm I observed an angler around 250 metres in front of me at Warren Beach. I asked him if he had caught any fish and he replied that he had caught two.

On inspecting the bag I saw that he had around nine sea bass, ranging between 21 and 26 centimetres.’

The court heard that no fishing licence is required to fish for sea bass but that Mr Gucija did not take note of the public notices at Warren Beach about sea bass fishing and related laws. 

Mr Gucija, who works in construction and had an Albanian interpreter in court, had his two fishing rods, a tackle bag a rod stand and net confiscated that day. He had no previous convictions.

Judge Joanne Carroll ordered the defendant to pay €300 to the Poor Box and ordered his fishing equipment to be seized, apart from the two fishing rods.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.