Three fishermen were yesterday slapped with fines of almost $100,000 for catching prohibited and out of season marine products. They are 40 year old Captain Randolph Aragon and 30 year old Vidal Gabriel Orellano, also a Fisherman of #9060 Lacroix Boulevard, Belize City.

This includes 58 Angelfish filet, 23 Angel fish, 24 conch and 28 lobsters and for fishing without a license. Senior Magistrate, Baja Shoman assessed the fishermen with a fine of $1,000 dollars for each prohibited Angelfish and another $1,000 dollars each for the 58 filleted Angelfish.

For the 24 conch, each man was fined $1,000 dollars each, plus an additional penalty fee per conch of $50 dollars each.

For the 28 lobsters both were fined $1,000 dollars each, plus an additional penalty or $50 dollars each.

The men pleaded guilty and threw themselves to the mercy of the court. To show mercy for their guilty plea, the Magistrate allowed them to split the hefty penalties for the illegal marine products.

Because of the prohibited angelfish, they could have been fined as much as another hundred thousand dollars in fines for each fish.