ANSGAR E104

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Course/Position

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Skipper and company charged for failing to comply with regulations

Willem de Boer, the skipper of the "Ansgar (E104)" appeared at North Tyneside Magistrates Court on May 24, 2019 in a prosecution brought by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). The court heard how Royal Navy boarding officers performed a routine sea boarding on behalf of the MMO on July 5, 2018. The vessel was twin rig trawling in a section of the North Sea known as Dogger Bank. When the boarding team approached the "Angsar" a boarding ladder was not provided. During the inspection both port and starboard cod end nets failed twine thickness regulations. A total of 40 failures were found on both nets. There was also no square mesh panel on either net. As the vessel is British registered it is required to have a square mesh panel fitted to nets of mesh size 70-199 mm in ICES IV (North Sea). Mr. de Boer and Buchan (E104) Limited pleaded guilty to all charges. The owners were fined £66,455 and Mr de Boer was fined £8,147. They were jointly ordered to pay £1,830.50 in costs and a £340 victim surcharge.