Three French fishermen who have been detained here since last Friday, after they were caught fishing illegally in Antigua and Barbuda’s waters, were released from police custody yesterday.
But far from being the end of the matter, the men were only freed from confinement based on their undertaking to pay a combined $40,000 fine imposed on them by Fisheries Minister Hilson Baptiste.
Chief Fisheries Officer Cheryl Appleton told Caribarena on Thursday night that the fine is expected to be paid by today, Friday December 7th.
She said although the men have been released from police custody, they will not be allowed to exit Antigua until the money is paid, and the authorities here are making sure of this by holding on to their vessel until that commitment is honoured.
The three were nabbed by the Coast Guard on Friday November 30 after local fishermen spotted their encroachment and reported the matter to local law enforcement.
The poachers remained in Coast Guard detention until Monday when the matter was turned over to Minister Baptiste for an administrative determination as he is empowered to do under the Fisheries Act.
That legislation allows the minister to slap illegal fishers with fines ranging from one dollar to half-a-million dollars. The offenders can choose to comply with the Minister’s ruling and thereby conclude the matter forthwith, while failure or refusal to do so results in the matter being tried in a local court of law.
When the French men failed to come up with the money by Monday evening they were locked up at the St. John’s police station, and remained there until yesterday when authorities became satisfied that credible arrangements had been made to pay the fine by today.
Minister Baptiste had told Caribarena that he took a firm position with the offending trio, because it was not their first time committing such an act, and local fishermen had become considerably outraged at the continued violation and pilferage of their marine resources.
2012 Caribarena