0n 1 April 2026, two investigations by Cornwall IFCA involving multiple fisheries offences were brought together into a single prosecution hearing at the Truro Magistrates Court. Mr Martin Gilbert (61) of Newquay and his son Jake Gilbert (33), also of Newquay, were defendants who featured in both of the investigations.
The two cases related to the activities of four fishermen who worked aboard and/or owned the two fishing vessels involved in the investigations. The Serene PW 17 was skippered by Mr James Bate (36) of Padstow, crewed by Mr Jay Jepson (23) of Newquay and owned by Martin Gilbert. The other vessel, Golden Lancer PW 15, was skippered by Martin Gilbert or by Jake Gilbert who owned the vessel.
In relation to the Serene PW17 investigation, James Bate, Jay Jepson and Martin Gilbert all entered guilty pleas to fishing for berried lobsters and for failing to return berried lobsters immediately to the sea.
In relation to the Golden Lancer PW15 investigation, Martin Gibert and Jake Gilbert both 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.
Upon the defendants entering guilty pleas, the Court sentenced them as follows:
Martin Gilbert was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £3,992;
Jake Gilbert was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £3,938;
James Bate and Jay Jepson were both ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £948.
On 14 March 2025, Cornwall IFCA officers boarded the Padstow based fishing vessel Serene PW17 at sea, knowing that nine days earlier the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) had found berried (egg bearing) and mutilated lobsters during an inspection of the vessel’s catch in Padstow. Cornwall IFCA officers discovered a number of hand-brushes with lobster eggs lodged between the bristles and they also observed loose lobster eggs within a fish box on the deck of the vessel. Although no illegally retained berried lobsters were found on board, they suspected berried lobsters may have been scrubbed to remove the eggs. On 20 March 2025, the Serene was observed from the shore by Cornwall IFCA officers, potting close inshore with Mr Bate and Mr Jepson on board. The officers used a video camera to record the fishing activity which included footage of Mr Bate appearing to scrub the eggs off female lobsters. When the Serene arrived back into Padstow, it was met by Cornwall IFCA officers who inspected the shellfish catch on board. They discovered nine female lobsters with the remains of unripe eggs attached to their abdomens and also observed that many other female lobsters appeared to have been entirely scrubbed clean of any eggs. They also found that hand-brushes on board the Serene, again contained fresh unripe lobster eggs. The scientifically proven Karlsson and Sisson test was used to determine that numerous female lobsters with no eggs attached had recently been berried and subjected to physical damage consistent with deliberate removal such as by scrubbing using a brush.
To help maintain healthy lobster stocks, it is important that all berried females caught are returned immediately to the sea. It is estimated that each legally sized berried lobster can carry between 7,000 and 35,000 eggs. However, it is probable that only two out of 30,000 eggs are likely to produce a lobster that will reach maturity and hence why it is so vital to enforce the legislation which aims to protect berried lobsters.
On 14 May 2025, the Newquay based fishing vessel Golden Lancer PW15 returned from a fishing trip and stopped off at a shellfish store-pot close to Newquay harbour. A Cornwall IFCA officer observed this from the shore and used a video camera to record store-pots being hauled on deck, including crawfish added to the shellfish already held in the pots, and Jake Gilbert on board as the skipper. In 2025, under a fishing licence condition, it was illegal fish for, retain or store crawfish in the south-west region before 1 June.
On 20 May 2025, Cornwall IFCA officers carried out a plan to inspect the contents of the shellfish store-pots used by the Golden Lancer, using the Cornwall IFCA research vessel Tiger Lily VI which was fitted with a pot hauler. An officer based ashore video recorded the Golden Lancer returning from a fishing trip and stop outside Newquay harbour to haul the store-pots, deposit fresh catch into the pots and drop them back to the sea-bed before heading into the harbour. The skipper was Martin Gilbert on this occasion. When Tiger Lily VI arrived on scene, the Golden Lancer store-pots were hauled up and the shellfish contents were inspected. 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. In the course of 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.
To help maintain healthy crawfish stocks, the animals are subject to a minimum size and a closed fishing season when many of the females are berried and soft due to fresh moulting.
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 the fisheries are under pressure from legitimate fishing. The discovery of serious offences from two of the fishing vessels owned by either Martin Gilbert or Jake Gilbert is extremely concerning. I hope these court proceedings leading to many convictions will encourage them, their skippers and crew to fish responsibly in future.”