Three Derry men were among five cases of illegal fishing in the Erne Estuary which were before a recent sitting of Ballyshannon District Court.
Four men were convicted in court and fined following a failure to pay fixed charge notices given by officers from Inland Fisheries Ireland.
The men were each charged with using a scheduled engine, failing to produce a licence to the inspector when required.
The charge is contrary to section 303 (2) of the Fisheries Consolidation Act, 1959. In the case of each, a fixed charge penalty notice was issued, but was not paid within the required 21 days.
Thomas Doherty, of Racecourse Road, was charged in relation to an offence at Randy Shore, Ballymacaward, Ballyshannon, on September 10, 2023.
Jim Lyttle, with an address at Glenabbey Drive, Skeoge, and Sean Moore, of Glenabbey Street, were charged with the offence on September 10, 2023 at Erne Car Park, Ballymacaward, Ballyshannon.
Doherty, Lyttle and Moore were not present in court or legally represented.
They were each fined €500 and given six months to pay.
In respect of the cases of Doherty, Lyttle and Moore, costs in the sum of €1766.15 were awarded to Inland Fisheries Ireland.
Recognisance in the event of an appeal was fixed in their own bond of €200.
Leon Gillen, of Ashgrove, Magheraboy, Sligo, and his father, Niall Drummond, of East Port Road, Ballyshannon, were charged with an offence on December 6, 2023 at Port na Mara , Carrickboy, Ballyshannon.
An assistant inspector told the court that he was on a routine patrol and the men informed him that they were targeting sea trout, but did not have a licence.
They were represented by solicitor Mr Gerry McGovern, who outlined that their circumstances were “not good” at the moment as there had been a bereavement in the family.
Gillen was fined €250 and given six months to pay while the Probation Act was applied to Drummond by Judge Ciaran Liddy.
Costs were awarded to Inland Fisheries Ireland in the sum of €1,490.
Inland Fisheries Ireland was represented by solicitor Ms Donna Ferry of VP McMullin Solicitors.
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