ONE OF two Honduran captains and his chief mate who were sentenced last Wednesday for fishing illegally in the Pedro Cays on January 16, have paid up more than $2 million in fines for the crime.
Clifford Mejia, captain of the fishing boat Thunder Ridge, and his chief mate Ashley Hinds whose crew sped off with their boat when they were held by the Coast Guard and Marine Police two weeks ago, were each fined more than $1 million for breaches of the Fishing Industries Act and other environmental laws.
The captain and chief mate of another vessel, which is currently being held at the Marine Police Station with 16 juveniles on board, were also charged.
The captain of that vessel, Derek Diaz, 44, of Rotan Island, his chief mate Raymon Martinez, 35, also of Rotan Island who were also ordered by Resident Magistrate Joyce Bennett to pay fines of more than $1 million each last Wednesday, are currently being held at the Remand Centre along with their over sixty-man crew.
The police say they have not yet paid their fines.
The captain, chief mate and their crew were also each fined $1,000 or nine months imprisonment for fishing without a licence and $500 or six months imprisonment for fishing in a closed season for conch.
The marine police reported that during a joint operation with the National Coast Guard, they intercepted two vessels fishing about eight miles off the Pedro Banks in the South Cays, the Thunder Ridge and Diaz' vessel.
The crew of the Thunder Ridge escaped with the vessel while the police were interrogating its captain. They reportedly discovered on Diaz' vessel about 100 pounds of conch, a young Hawksbill turtle which was shot in the eye, and a quantity of lobster inclusive of 62 berried ones.
While Diaz pled guilty to charges of fishing without a licence, operating an unlicensed vessel and fishing during closed season for conch and lobster, he pled not guilty to possession of berried lobster and breach of the Aquaculture Inland Marine Product and By-product (licensing and export) Act for which he will be tried on February 5.
