Japanese Schooner Paid Fine And Left Russian Waters

A Japanese poacher schooner left Russian waters. Arrest was remitted from the schooner when its captain, in compliance with the decision of the Primorye territorial (the Russian Far East) court, paid a fine of four million roubles for the damage done to Russian bioresources. RIA Novosti received this information on Thursday at the press centre of the Federal Frontier Service Pacific regional department. The schooner was detained by the crew of the Korshun patrol border vessel on September 11, 2001 for the poacher catch in the Russian economic zone. More than 6.5 tons of crabs were discovered in the vessel's holds. In addition, traps with five tons of crabs were found in the water near the schooner. On October 5, during the first trial the Nakhodka city court fined the captain of the schooner to the sum of 100,000 roubles (more than 3,000 dollars), and to the same sum for the damage done to the sea bioresources. The illegal catch and the crab traps were confiscated. The top officials of the Pacific regional department of the Russian Federal Frontier Service decided that this judgement was too soft and brought a second suit to the Primorye territorial court. The border guards wanted to increase the fine and confiscate the schooner. The verdict of the second trial was tougher. But the Russian lawyer of the Japanese captain managed to convince the court that the schooner should not be confiscated.