Case #3529: Wyville-Thomson Ridge SAC 1st Area, 16 June 2026

The closed area is outlined; the marker is where the activity was recorded. Basemap © Esri, HERE, Garmin, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The case in brief

This vessel's gear (pelagic (water-column) gear) does not work the seabed, so a seabed closure does not reach it.

Case: #3529
Observation: Apparent fishing (satellite vessel tracking)
Closed area: Wyville-Thomson Ridge SAC 1st Area (Offshore Fishing Order 2025)
What is prohibited there: bottom-towed gear prohibited
When: 2026-06-16 14:56 UTC → 2026-06-17 22:55 UTC
Position: 60.0597°, -7.3868°
Vessel: BORGARIN
MMSI: 231039000
Flag: FRO
Gear (satellite-inferred): Trawlers
Gear (verified by hand): Pelagic (Water-Column) Gear — high confidence

How this case was judged

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.

Activity weak

Was it fishing, here, and then?
- No movement analysis on this case — it predates the transit check, so fishing and transiting cannot be separated.
Vessel strong

What gear does this boat actually use?
- Gear established as pelagic (water-column) gear, which does not work the seabed.
Rule strong

What was prohibited there, then, for that gear?
- Rule reviewed: Article 21(1): "Fishing for sea fish with demersal mobile gear is prohibited in the Wyville Thomson Ridge First Protected Area." Article 2 defines "demersal mobile gear" as (a) a demersal seine net, (b) a demersal trawl, or (c) a dredge. Article 21(3)(a) keys the First Protected Area to Part 1 of schedule 19..

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.

Full evidence pack Open on the live map About this closure How CAUGHT works

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.

Case 3529 — Wyville-Thomson Ridge SAC 1st Area

The case in brief

How this case was judged

Check it yourself