A salmon fishing firm with its eyes set on Aberdeenshire waters has admitted breaching regulations elsewhere on the north-east coast.
Usan Salmon Fisheries, which has secured the commercial rights for the Ythan estuary near Newburgh, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court for a proof in mitigation hearing yesterday.
It followed an earlier hearing in January when the Montrose-based firm admitted working beyond its permitted hours at five other spots.
Usan Fisheries fished outwith weekly limits near Montrose in August 2013 and Gardenstown in August 2014 in breach of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003.
Yesterday, the company’s director George Pullar said the firm had failed to bring in its nets on a number of occasions, but told Sheriff Pino di Emidio that crews had been forced to return home because of rough seas.
And the 45-year-old said he and his co-director brother David run the business, the last of its kind on the east coast of Scotland, as “a labour of love”.
Pullar said he had skippered a salmon station off Angus since he was 16, when his father took over the salmon fishing lease from the then Tay Salmon Company in Perth.
He said he and his skippers were forced to stay home over the course of several weekends due to rough seas or bad forecasts, leaving the nets in place.
“When you’re working at sea, you don’t get second chances,” he said.
Witness Alan Third, 55, said his boat had broken down on August 9, 2013, off the Montrose coast, and was towed back by Pullar, who himself broke down on his way to remove leaders at Ethie Haven.
Pullar’s nephew Kevin Pullar, 22, was quizzed about operations off the Gardenstown coast where he is skipper.
He said he was constantly mindful of weather forecasts and had been responsible for leaving leaders in over the weekends in question due to rough sea conditions.
He said: “First of all I know I have to get this leader ashore, secondly safety is the priority.”
The proof will continue on July 9, after which Sheriff Di Emidio will deliver sentence.