Man facing fine and costs over €1,000 for illegal salmon net off Donegal coast

A 70-year-old man will have to pay more than €1,000 in fines and prosecution costs after being caught accessing an illegal net off the coast of Donegal.

The net was empty at the time, and the defendant told fisheries officers that he was ‘just out for a feed,’ a recent sitting of An Clochan Liath / Dungloe District Court heard. 

Patrick O’Donnell, of Loch an Dubh, Kincasslagh was before the court on March 10, where he pleaded guilty to four offences which took place at sea off Cruit Island on July 19, 2025. He admitted fishing with, making use of, or erecting a fixed engine for the capture of salmon. 

O’Donnell pleaded guilty to having in his possession a net, the use of which is such waters for the purpose of taking fish is prohibited. He also admitted using a boat for the commission of an offence, and of taking or attempting to take salmon or trout with a drift net or other engine. 

Solicitor Donna Ferry acting for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) told the court that officers were on surveillance in the area. At 5am they located a fixed net. 

“At 11.25am a boat came out from Cruit Island and started to service the net,” said Ms Ferry. 

“Mr O’Donnell said he was just out for a feed.”

The solicitor said that no fish had been caught, and the defendant had no previous convictions. The equipment was subsequently seized and O’Donnell was charged. 

Solicitor for the accused, Deirdre Gallagher said: “Our client fully cooperated straight away. He apologised. “He is 70 years of age, of limited means, in receipt of the state pension. He has not come before the court before. There was no fish caught.”

Judge Emile Daly asked the defendant if he wished to say anything.

O’Donnell said: “I apologise, it will not happen again. I am a pensioner now, I will not be at that craic anymore.”

The court heard that the defence accepted prosecution costs of €734. 

Maximum penalties are €2,000 fine or six months imprisonment on each charge. 

Judge Daly said: “Then penalties are high because they need to be high. This has to be regulated. 

“If fishing is done outside the regulations it is problematic from a number of points of view.”

In mitigation, the judge said: “I accept that Mr O’Donnell was fully cooperative at the time. I have to bear in mind that he is of limited means. 

“He assures the court that this won’t happen again.”

On counts one and two, Judge Daly imposed fines of €150 each, giving the defendant four months to pay. Counts three and four were taken into consideration.

The judge said: “There are now fines of €300 and costs of more than €700 so altogether it will cost Mr O’Donnell around €1,000.”