THE skipper of a British registered Spanish trawler denied charges of breaching Irish fishery laws at Clifden District Court in Co Galway yesterday.
Mr Joakim Urkiza's Jian Mari, from the Basque port of Ondarroa, was detained off Kerry on Tuesday by the Naval Service. He was charged with failing to have documents on board describing its fish rooms and giving its storage capacity, contrary to Section 223 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act.
He was also charged with failing to record his entry into the State's exclusive fishing grounds in an EU logbook and failing to communicate his boat's entry into Ireland's waters.
Mr William Kennedy, State Solicitor, said the defendant had waived his right to a preliminary examination. Judge Al O'Dea made an order on the terms Mr Kennedy outlined, and sent Mr Urkiza for trial to Galway Circuit Criminal Court on January 7th allowed bail on Mr Urkiza's surety of £100 and ordered the vessel detained, to be released if a bond of £200,000 is lodged.
The defending solicitor, Mr Eugene Glendon, of Coakley & Maloney, Cork, said media interviews about the trawler's detention on Wednesday had prejudiced his client's position. Judge O'Dea said this was not a matter to be considered by him.