BRIXHAM'S fishing fleet has spoken out in support of the 14 people convicted of a fishing quota scam in Cornwall.

In a landmark legal case, the owners and skippers of six trawlers operating out of Newlyn, plus one auctioneer, have been ordered to pay about £200,000 in fines and costs after fiddling strict European Union fishing quotas.

Sentencing the 14, which included pensioners Donald and Joan Turtle who own the Ben Loyal, Judge Philip Wassall condemned the 'well organised deception' whereby skippers at the West Cornwall port recorded landed fish under other species to beat the quota system.

Mrs Turtle, 72, who now has to pay thousands of pounds or face a prison sentence, said the fishermen involved in the deception were motivated by 'need not greed' and were being punished for throwing edible fish back into the sea.

Graham Perks, owner of Seafield in Brixham, which operates three beam trawlers, said he felt 'terribly sorry' for the 14.

"It's an absolute disgrace. The system is all wrong and it just seems the country is turning into a police state," he said.

"It's not done for greed. These guys are on below the minimum wage at the moment. How can they possibly call that greed?

"They're just trying to go forward to survive. Everyone's got to pay the bills. This is just going to put more and more people out of work."

Dave Hurford, skipper and owner of the Brixham-based Constant Friend, also sympathised with the 14 who were 'only trying to earn a living'.

He said: "The quota system isn't working and it never will.

"All you are doing is dumping good fish back into the sea, most of which are dead, so it's not a conservation measure.

"Having to throw back probably a good third of their catch of good quality fish is just wasteful.

"I don't think these guys deserve the penalty they are paying now for throwing edible fish back. They're only trying to earn a living.

"They have been treated worse than people who smuggle drugs. They're only catching a few fish, yet they're being treated as if they have committed a serious criminal offence."

Rick Smith, of auctioneers Brixham Trawler Agents, hailed the fines 'Draconian,' adding: "They're far too high, it's ridiculous.

"People have been fined for doing the same thing in Brixham and it's taken them years to pay it off.

"It's going to hit Newlyn for six.

"Despite what's said about it being an environmental and financial crime, what they did was to not throw dead fish back into the sea.

"Ok, it isn't legal, but needs must. You can't condone it because it does depress the proper price of fish on the market. If someone is selling it up the road cheaper obviously you're not going to go to the market and pay the proper price for it, so really it does cheat fishermen catching it in a bona fide manner."

He added: "This goes back to 2002 but it's taken ages to get to court. It's like having the sword of Damocles hanging over you for six years.

"The time it's taken is a travesty for those involved."

Dave Langdon, co-owner of Langdon & Philip which owns five beam trawlers in Brixham, said prime dead fish is dumped back into the sea every day because of the 'crazy' quota system.

He said: "The fishing industry is hard enough as it is without having to throw your prime fish back, especially when it's dead.

"Anybody in Europe will tell you this quota system doesn't work.

"It's a shame the fines are as much as they are, they're being fined more than if they were smuggling drugs. There's no way you can pay them. Somebody will end up going to prison soon."