Nine poachers await sentencing for violating the Turks and Caicos Islands Fisheries Protection Ordinance.
Police report that around 6.10 p.m. last Friday 6th October, the RT&CIPF Marine Division vessel – Sea Pursuit, was at sea, south of White Cay – an area within the Fisheries Limits of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The crew found a number of vessels, one of which was stopped and boarded by the crew of the Sea Pursuit. This vessel, approximately 45 feet in length was named ‘MV Yaniret’.
Having boarded the vessel and carried out initial enquiries, the boat and the fish on board were seized and the nine crew members detained for fishing illegally within the Fisheries Limits of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The vessel and crew were escorted to Providenciales and following an investigation as to the circumstances of the MV Yaniret’s presence within the Fisheries Limits of the TCI by the RT&CIPF, all of the persons arrested have pleaded guilty to the following charges of Using an unlicensed vessel for commercial fishing and Taking marine products without a license and are expected to be sentenced on Tuesday 17th October 2017.
