A MAN who threw his catch and fishing equipment overboard when he was confronted by enforcement officers in Poole Harbour has been fined.

Patrick Hennessy, 25, was taken to court by Southern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (Southern IFCA) in relation to events on the night of January 12, last year.

Hennessy, whose address was given in Primrose Gardens, Poole, was sentenced at Poole Magistrates' Court on April 19 after pleading guilty to two offences under the Marine and Coastal Access Act.

He admitted obstructing enforcement officer Adam Parry and failing to comply with a direction reasonably given by Mr Parry.

The court heard that Hennessy was fishing from an unregistered, unlicensed fishing boat in Poole Harbour on January 12, 2020.

He was intercepted by Southern IFCA officers aboard the fisheries patrol vessel. He was asked by officers to stop, to allow an inspection of his vessel, but he failed to do so.

The officers were obstructed in the performance of their functions when Hennessy threw his catch and fishing equipment overboard.

The defendant was fined £300, along with an order to pay £500 costs and a £32 surcharge.

Southern IFCA, which covers Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, is responsible for managing the exploitation of sea fisheries resources in its district and ensuring that the conservation objectives of any MCZ in the district are furthered.