Reader, Pentlander, has alerted us to bottom feeding by the BBC news flounders to turn this into an anti-French narrative where we are loyal to the UK, regardless of the facts:
BBC are not telling us that Macduff Shellfish is a subsidiary of Clearwater, a company from Nova Scotia. A search on the internet shows pictures of the trawler as a Grimsby boat back in 2011. It seems to get around a bit. Indeed GY in big figures on its bow is the first and last letters of that port.
Also, Macduff have previous in being where they shouldn’t be:
On 5 May 2017 Macduff Fishing Fleet Limited, owner of the scallop dredger “Cornelis Gert Jan” and its three masters Pawel Czerniak, Oliver Hughes and Robert Watt pleaded guilty to breaches of the Sea Fish Conservation Act 1967 at Worthing Magistrates Court.
The court heard how the vessel was permitted to retain non-quota species as a bycatch of its main catch of scallops. However, it had fished on a number of occasions in an area known to contain mixed species where a bycatch of quota species was inevitable.
Investigations by the MMO identified that £6,000 worth of sole and anglerfish had been landed by the vessel in the period between 5 May 2015 and 26 November 2015. This was in breach of the vessel’s licence.
While it was acknowledged that the company had provided landing data in the form of log sheets and sales notes electronically during the period, the MMO system would not necessarily pick up on potential breaches of licence conditions. The Court accepted that it was, in any event, incumbent on the masters and owners to ensure they did not retain any species on their vessel which were prohibited by their licence.
Macduff Fishing Fleet Limited (vessel owner) were fined £12,000, with an additional fine of £6057.67 to the value of the fish involved in the offending, costs of £4,758.75 and a victim surcharge of £120.
Mr Hughes (vessel master) was fined £580, Mr Watt (vessel master) was fined £678 and Mr Czernia (vessel master) was fined £220.00. These fines included a victim surcharge.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fine-of-2441442-for-fisheries-offences
UPDATE: 29 October 2021:
Companies House provides data on Macduff Shellfish (Scotland) Limited and Macduff Shellfish Group Limited. It would take a better mind than mine to understand all the ins and outs of this, but it’s clear that the direct shareholders are nearly all Canadian financial institutions, such as a Canadian branch of Wells Fargo Bank and the Bank of Montreal.
The only other shareholder is Clearwater Bidco Limited, as referred to by Pentlander, and it turns out that their sole shareholder is “GE Canada Finance Holding Company (as Agent) Pursuant to a Share Pledge” – whatever that means!
Talking-up Scotland / Scottish media fact checking is like shooting fish in a barrel 
Do any think the French are stupid
They will resolutely defend their rights
And it is very much in their long term interests to work against Westminster
And Brexit has presented them with ideal gun to load their bullets into
Especially after the undermining of the submarine deal they had in the bag with
Australia by the UK/ USA
All rather pointless now as the Pentagon
Admits that the rapid development of China,s hypersonic carrier sinking missiles that now they can only safely operate at a distance of 1500 Km,s from Chinese terrority
And that the Russian who have the most excellent submarine hunter killer force in the world are jointly working with China
Has lead to the pentagon openly admitting that in order to counteract all this $ Trillions of monies required and at least 15 yrs before any reasonable deployment and that all without further
New development of Chinese and Russian technology
UK now well and truly a 2nd rate power
Destined to slide even further and further
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If Pentlander can research this, surely the BBC could have? Of course, they could have, but they chose not to, deploying the narrative issued by the UK Government.
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Neither the BBC National news ( not the news where YOU are !) nor the ITV National news provided any info on the real owners of this boat .
This was straight UK ( the good guys ? ) v the French .
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Reblogged this on Patzi Winter.
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Companies House provides data on Macduff Shellfish (Scotland) Limited and Macduff Shellfish Group Limited. It would take a better mind than mine to understand all the ins and outs of this, but it’s clear that the direct shareholders are nearly all Canadian financial institutions, such as a Canadian branch of Wells Fargo Bank and the Bank of Montreal.
The only other shareholder is Clearwater Bidco Limited, as referred to by Pentlander, and it turns out that their sole shareholder is “GE Canada Finance Holding Company (as Agent) Pursuant to a Share Pledge” – whatever that means!
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The ownership of the “Scottish” trawler at the centre of this latest round of Sabre rattling by the UK government can be traced to a company that is now partly owned by the First Nation Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
They appear to have taken charge of all of the lobster fishing licences for the Canadian eastern seaboard.
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They have/had another boat convicted of catching scallops below the allowed minimum size, which probably happens a lot with scallop dredgers –
“Violation Tracker UK Individual Case
Company: Macduff Shellfish (Scotland) Ltd
Penalty: £27,434
Year: 2017
Date: 28 November 2017
Offence Group: environment-related offences
Offence Type: commercial fishing violation
Violation Description: The court heard how an inspection by MMO officers on 9 March 2017 found a quantity of scallops below the allowed minimum size in the catch of the Honeybourne III at Shoreham.
Action Type: agency action
Agency: Marine Management Organisation
Source of Data: (click here)”
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mi%EA%9E%8Ckmaq
Yes apparently 50% of this billion dollar seafood company is owned by the Mi’Kmaq, a nation of around 170,000 people.
Those interested in struggles of small indigenous peoples may find the above article of interest. Amazing that treaties with the UK from the 1700’s were central to the Marshall Decision in the Canadian Supreme Court in 1999.
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