TWO Achill men accused of using an illegal fishing net to fish for salmon were acquitted of the same offence for the second time in Westport Circuit Court.
Nineteen-year-old Seán Mooney of Chongie Road, Dooagh, Achill and Achill native Michael McNamara with an address at St Jude’s, Ballygahan, Avoca, Co Wicklow were both acquitted in Achill District Court of the illegal use of a fishing net off Purteen Harbour in Achill on August 13 2011.
However, the acquittal was appealed by Fisheries Ireland who re-entered the case at last week’s sitting of Westport Circuit Court.
The two men again contested the case against them where officers from Inland Fisheries gave evidence that the two men left Purteen Harbour in a currach to inspect an illegal net at Allenaun Point, Dooagh.
The fishery officers said the currach was the only boat on the water and they watched it as it returned to Purteen Harbour. However, they admitted they lost sight of the currach for a few minutes as it rounded the headland and because they did not positively identify the two men while they were on the water, Judge James O’Donohoe said he had to give the benefit of the doubt to the two defendants and dismissed the charges….
Mayo News. 20/11/2012. Read the article ‘Achill men acquitted of illegal fishing for second time’
