Six skippers plead guilty to involvement in £37m 'black fish'

Six skippers plead guilty to involvement in £37m 'black fish'
By JOHN ROBERTSON
The value of undeclared landings in the biggest scam in the history of Scotland's fishing industry was revealed yesterday to have been at least £37 million.
The figure was disclosed as six skippers pleaded guilty to being involved in the "black fish" scandal.

They had lied about their catches on all but one of 236 landings between 2002 and 2005 at the country's largest processing company on Shetland.ADVERTISEMENTThe herring and mackerel which remained under the radar was worth £15m.

Previously, eight other masters appeared in court in relation to £22m of fish.

One of those in the dock at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, Laurence Irvine, 64, admitted the largest single amount of undeclared fish, which was worth £5.6m.

The charge admitted by the 14 men does not carry a prison sentence, but exposes each of them to an unlimited fine.

However, the authorities will attempt to strip the men of any illegal profits before they are sentenced.

The six skippers are: Irvine, (master of the fishing vessel Antares), Gary Williamson, 51, (the Research W), William Williamson, 63, (the Research W), and Colin Leask, 37, (the Antarctic ll), all of Symbister, Whalsay, Shetland, George Henry, 59, (the Adenia), of Clousta, Bixter, Shetland, and John Stewart, 55, (the Antarctic), of, Lerwick, Shetland.