By FARRAH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A magistrate yesterday discharged four fishermen who were accused of fishing with prohibited apparatus after they were able to prove they had the appropriate licence to do so.
Daniel McPhee, Stanley Deveaux, Samuel Butler and Samuel Burrows were all arrested by members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in seas bordering North Exuma, after they were accused of having two air compressors on board their fishing boat on July 31.
The men were further accused of using two fishing vessels for commercial use without a valid permit.
During their hearing before Magistrate Samuel McKinney, the defendants denied the allegations.
Their attorney, Craig Butler, also showed the magistrate his clients’ permit which proved they had permission to use a compressor. He also explained the men were on board their main vessel: “Lady J” and the second boat they were accused of using as a commercial vessel was actually a dinghy.
Mr Butler claimed the men were not able to explain themselves or produce their licence while on board the vessel, because when RBDF officers approached them that day, they were “not very accommodating” and told the men they had “five minutes to get off the boat”.
He also said the marines confiscated hundreds of conch from them and said he planned to file another action to have all of his clients’ goods returned to them regardless of whether they were spoiled or not.
After listening to his explanation, Magistrate McKinney discharged McPhee, Deveaux, Butler and Burrows.
The fishermen thanked him profusely before leaving the precincts of the court.
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