A 62-year-old Onchan fisherman has been fined £2,000 for breaching lobster and crab fishing regulations.

Mark William Thomas admitted having an insufficient escape gap in pots as well as having untagged pots.

A third charge, relating to catching lobster carrying spawn attached, which he had denied, was dismissed after the prosecution offered no evidence.

Prosecuting advocate Peter Connick told the court that DEFA fisheries officers performed a routine inspection of lobster and crab pots belonging to Thomas on January 21, in Douglas Bay.

One pot was found to have a restricted escape gap and one had no escape hatch.

The pots were identified as belonging to the vessel Ivy Lee (DO157), which is owned by the defendant.

The following day, fisheries officers boarded the boat as Thomas was retrieving pots.

Some pots were found to have no identification tags.

Overall, including the pots from the day before, four pots had an obstructed escape hatch, four had no hatch, and four had no identification tags.

Defence advocate James Peterson said that the pots were tied together in strings, and each string did have some pots with identification tags.

Thomas said that he had put the pots out in October last year, but had not fished until the day of the inspection.

He said that there had been four large storms since then, so it appeared that the pots tags had come off.

He said that some of the escape hatches had been obstructed because of knots in the corner of them.

Mr Peterson said that the breaches had not been deliberate.

Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood fined Thomas, who lives at Harbour Road, £1,500 for the hatches offence and £500 for the tag offence.

He must also pay £50 prosecution costs and will pay at a rate of £20 per week.