A group of fishermen have been ordered to pay almost £10,000 in fines and court costs after they admitted multiple fisheries offences.
Following investigations by Cornwall IFCA (Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority), which is a committee of Cornwall Council, four men appeared at Truro Magistrates’ Court on April 1, 2026.
James Bate, aged 36, of Padstow, Jay Jepson, aged 23, of Newquay, and Martin Gilbert, aged 61, of Newquay, entered guilty pleas to fishing for berried lobsters and for failing to return berried lobsters immediately to the sea.
Martin Gibert and Jake Gilbert, aged 33, of Newquay, entered guilty pleas to fishing for undersized crawfish and fishing for crawfish without the authority of a fishing licence.
Additionally, Jake Gibert, as the holder of a Cornwall IFCA shellfish permit, entered guilty pleas for failing to submit monthly shellfish returns data to Cornwall IFCA on three occasions.
The men were prosecuted following investigations relating to two fishing vessels: the Serene PW 17 and the Golden Lancer PW 15.
The Serene
The Serene was skippered by James Bate, crewed by Jay Jepson, and owned by Martin Gilbert.
On March 14, 2025, Cornwall IFCA officers boarded the Padstow-based vessel at sea.
The officers discovered a number of hand-brushes with lobster eggs lodged between the bristles. Although no illegally retained berried lobsters were found on board, they suspected berried lobsters may have been scrubbed to remove the eggs.
Berried lobsters
On March 20, 2025, the Serene was observed from the shore by Cornwall IFCA officers. The officers filmed Bate appearing to scrub the eggs off female lobsters. When the Serene arrived back into Padstow, officers inspected the shellfish catch on board.
They discovered nine female lobsters with the remains of unripe eggs attached to their abdomens and many other female lobsters appeared to have been scrubbed clean of any eggs. They also found that hand-brushes on board the Serene contained fresh unripe lobster eggs.
The Golden Lancer
The Golden Lancer was skippered by Martin Gilbert or by his son Jake Gilbert, who owned the vessel.
On May 14, 2025, the Newquay-based fishing vessel stopped at a shellfish store-pot close to Newquay harbour.
From ashore, a Cornwall IFCA officer filmed the store-pots being hauled on deck, and crawfish being added to the pots, which were then dropped back down to the seabed. Jake Gilbert was the skipper at the time.
In 2025, under a fishing licence condition, it was illegal to fish for, retain or store crawfish in the south-west before 1 June.
On May 20, 2025, a Cornwall IFCA officer recorded the Golden Lancer stop outside Newquay harbour once again. Fresh catch was added to the pots, which were then dropped back down to the seabed. On this occasion, the skipper was Martin Gilbert.
The store-pots were hauled up and the shellfish contents inspected onboard the Cornwall IFCA research vessel.
Officers discovered 26 crawfish stored before the start of the licensed crawfish fishing season, including one which was undersized and five that had died. Four female lobsters without any berries attached exhibited signs of having been scrubbed.
During the investigation which followed, it was discovered that the mandatory monthly shellfish returns required by Cornwall IFCA for the Golden Lancer shellfish fishing had not been received for March, April and May 2025.
After entering guilty pleas Martin Gilbert was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £3,993, Jake Gilbert was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £3,938 and James Bate and Jay Jepson were each ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £948.
Simon Cadman, the Principal Enforcement Officer for Cornwall IFCA said, “The sustainability of lobster and crawfish fisheries are important to many Cornwall based fishers, fishing businesses and coastal communities, which is why legislation is in place to control fishing effort and uptake.
“The blatant disregard for many of the rules which was highlighted by our investigations, is extremely disappointing when crustacean fisheries are under pressure from legitimate fishing. The discovery of multiple serious offences from two of the fishing vessels owned by either Martin Gilbert or Jake Gilbert is most concerning.
“I hope these court proceedings leading to many convictions will encourage them, their skippers and crew to fish responsibly in future.”
Press release issued on April 08, 2026