A 52-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to two offences under the Fisheries Act.

Shayne Forrester denies using pots without valid tags and without a sufficient escape gap.

Prosecuting advocate Sara-Jayne Dodge told the court that it is alleged that a total of 118 pots had issues.

She also said that 123 illegally caught shellfish were returned to the sea on environmental grounds.

The allegations were said to relate to the vessel Enigma (PL164).

Ms Dodge submitted that the case was suitable for summary court trial.

Mr Forrester, whose address was given as Ballacraine, St John’s, opted to represent himself in court, declining the use of a duty advocate.

He told Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood: ‘I was a thousand miles away when this happened. This whole thing’s ridiculous, I shouldn’t be here.

‘Somebody else has already been convicted for this and I’m being brought to court when I was a thousand miles away.’

The Deputy High Bailiff accepted summary court jurisdiction and a pre-trial review will be held on January 16.

Bail has been granted in the sum of £500.