The master of fishing vessel Ortegal Tres (IMO 7424580) was brought before the Bandon District Court, County Cork, Ireland, on February 13th following the detention of his vessel. The captain was charged with 25 fishing offences on various dates starting in December 2022 and ending on February 3rd, while fishing within the exclusive fishing limits of the Irish State.
He was charged with four logbook offences of failing to record the proper depth at which his vessel was fishing and four offences of failing to record the proper net soak times while fishing within Irish exclusive fishing limits.
He was also charged with a total of 17 separate offences of allowing his nets to exceed the permitted soak times of 72 hours allowed for the gear while fishing within the exclusive fishing limits of the State.
The captain had been arrested at Deenish Pier, Castletownbere on February 13th and made no reply to any of the 25 charges when they were put to him after caution.
The Ortegal Tres was escorted to West Cork by the Irish naval Service after it was detained off the southwest coast of Ireland on February 7th following an inspection by the LE Samuel Beckett. The vessel arrived in Castletownbere on February 11th, and was handed over to the Garda Siochana for alleged fishing offences off the southwest coast of Ireland.
1975-built, Germany-flagged, 265 gt Ortegal Tres is owned and managed by Portegal Fischerei GmbH of Hamburg, Germany. As of March 5th it was moored at A Coruna, north-west Spain.