Skippers' HQ raided by cops in illegal catch probe

May 4 2008 By Raymond Hainey

Exclusive Skippers' Hq Raided By Fraud Detectives In Illegal Catch Probe

THE fishing industry's Scots headquarters has been raided by police probing illegal catches.

The Sea Fish Industry Authority - known as Seafish - saw their base searched in a long-running investigation into the multi-million pound trade in "black fish".

Police and the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency believe there was widespread breaching of EU fishing quotas by Scots skippers between 2001 and 2006.

The strict limits on catching fish such as mackerel and cod were imposed to protect dwindling stocks.

But illegal hauls have been rife.

Last August the Sunday Mail exposed Tom Nicholson- nicknamed the Cod father - for netting more than £1million of black fish with his TN Trawlers fleet, based in Annan, Dumfriesshire.

In February he was ordered to pay £472,000 under proceeds of crime laws within six months or he will be jailed for three years.

Grampian and Northern Constabulary officers left Seafish's offices in Logie Mill, Edinburgh, with boxes of documents. One insider said: "This investigation is into alleged widespread over-fishing of mackerel in the North Sea.

"As Seafish is funded on a levy based upon what is caught by every single boat in the UK, they hold records of what has gone through the wholesalers.

"The question is whether these centrally-held records match other records in terms of quantities caught and the types of species caught.

"Who knew what and when? The police will want to know whether any individuals failed to report their suspicions."

The raid is linked to similar swoops on two of Scotland's biggest fish processing plants in September 2005.

Accountants examined paperwork at Fresh Catch in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, and Shetland Catch in Lerwick. Police divers also searched Peterhead harbour.

Seafish is the UK's only cross industry seafood body, working with fishermen, processors, wholesalers, seafood farmers, fish friers, caterers, retailers and the import and export trade. Established in 1981, its chief executive is former accountant John Rutherford.

Seafish's 12-member board is chaired by former Royal Navy officer Charles Howeson.

Seafish is not a government body but is sponsored by the four UK fisheries departments.

Its £11million annual budget mostly comes from a Government-controlled levy on seafood sales.

Part of their role is to promote the industry, which landed 614,000 tonnes of fish worth £610million in 2006.

PR campaigns include the Fish and Chip Shop of the Year contest.

In 2006 Seafish launched its Responsible Fishing scheme, which receives financial backing from the EU.

It allows boat owners to provide assurance down the supply chain that they fish in a responsible manner.

But since its launch, only 164 of the thousands of boats around Britain have qualified for the scheme.

The UK fishing fleet has 7116 vessels in England and Wales, 5205 in Scotland and 613 in Northern Ireland.

More than 60 per cent of all UK landings are caught west of Scotland and in the northern North Sea.

Grampian Police, Northern Constabulary and the SPFA refused to comment on the raids.

The Crown Office said: "The Crown Office and procurator fiscal service remain in liaison with the police and the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency in this ongoing investigation."

Seafish boss Howeson said: "We are co-operating fully with the requests for information from the Crown Office and have already responded to requests for information from the SFPA with regard to this.

"As this is only the latest phase in a current investigation, we are continuing with business as usual."

MAILFILE

TOUGHER policing has slashed the number black fish landed by crews who ignore limits on what they can catch. The rules aim to preserve stocks after decades of over-fishing. Most of the North Sea fish we eat is caught outside the EU - such as Greenland and Iceland - where quotas do not apply.

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r.hainey@sundaymail.co.uk