Every CAUGHT case is assessed on three independent questions, and
the weakest of the three decides. A case reads CAUGHT only when all three are
established and a person has reviewed it.
Activitystrong
Was it fishing, here, and then?
Apparent fishing recorded at a position inside the closure, over an event lasting 12.2 h — the recorded extent of this fishing event is not contained by the closure, so the share of those hours spent inside it is not measured.
Vesselunknown
What gear does this boat actually use?
The gear research on this vessel is closed: it was not established, and the case was resolved rather than left pending.
HERITAGE — Closed on the SARAH LOUISE test (gear not researched), 2026-09-07 (cycle 67). CLOSED ON THE SARAH LOUISE TEST. Both cases (West of Targets (Mud) CA) grade the RULE `moderate`, so the weakest-link verdict is capped at moderate whatever the gear proves to be. The gear was not researched, and should not be until the rule is adjudicated - that is the work with the leverage here. CAPPED BY: rule: moderate on both cases, so no gear finding could promote them. WHAT WOULD REOPEN IT: Adjudicating the West of Targets (Mud) closed-area licence condition to `strong`. Then research the gear.
This is not a finding that the vessel did nothing. It withdraws a pending accusation, which is the safe direction — and it reverses the moment a source states the gear, because every verdict is re-derived from the data files on each request.
Rule reviewed: 'It is prohibited to use bottom towed fishing gear in the mud closed areas.' Separately: presence inside the mud closed areas at under 4.0 knots is prohibited unless fishing with authorised gear, where 'authorised gear-types' expressly EXCLUDES bottom towed fishing gear and any baited trap other than Nephrops creels..
This measure has been read only from a secondary source, so it is not relied on to support an escalation.
Not established: vessel.
A case is only as strong as its weakest factor, so this one cannot read CAUGHT until that is settled.
Check it yourself
Nothing here asks to be taken on trust. The full report sets out every source,
every measurement and everything we could not establish.
What this is, and what it isn't. A CAUGHT case is a reason to look,
not a verdict, and this page is not a finding that an offence took place. Vessel names
and identifiers come from publicly broadcast AIS data, which can be wrong or
mis-attributed. Most fishing inside UK marine protected areas is currently
legal; CAUGHT only flags places where a rule already exists.
If you own or operate this vessel and believe it has been mischaracterised, write to
contact@caught.org.uk — corrections are
welcomed and we publish them. Your right of reply is set out in our
terms.