A FISHERMAN has been ordered to pay £5,157.68 in fines and costs for fishing in an unlicensed boat in a prohibited area of Poole Harbour.

Alex Russell was stopped in the Keysworth area of Poole Harbour with a fishing dredge and later a shellfish dredge, using a boat which was not registered or licensed.

Prosecutors for the Southern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) said the 20-year-old, of Millfield in Creekmoor, Poole, was stopped on October 9 and 21 last year.

His fishing contravened a Southern IFCA byelaw of a “prohibition on using or carrying a shellfish dredge, scoop or handrake in certain areas of Poole Harbour”.

In Mr Russell’s absence the case was proved and Mr Russell was fined a total of £1,500.

He was ordered to pay IFCA costs of £3,557.68, plus a £100 victim support.

Neil Richardson, pictured, Southern IFCA deputy chief officer, said: “The outcome of this case sends a clear message that illegal fishing in Poole Harbour will not be tolerated.

“This is the third time the authority had attended court with this case and the level of fine and costs reflect the seriousness of the infringement.

“These regulations are important. They ensure the fishery is protected and the habitats in Poole Harbour are managed.

“The rules support the important fishing industry in the local area.

“Southern IFCA is committed to protecting the fishery to ensure healthy seas, sustainable fisheries and a viable industry.”

The Southern IFCA is one of ten IFCAs whose jurisdictions cover the entire coastline of England.

Southern IFCA was created in 2011 and is tasked with the sustainable management of inshore sea fisheries resources in coastal waters off Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight.