A crew member of a Newlyn fishing boat that collided with a coaster has been ordered to pay a total of £2,100 in fines and costs after failing to keep a proper lookout.

At a hearing last week at Bodmin Magistrates Court, Andrew Cowan-Dickie of the Newlyn based trawler James R H Stevenson pleaded guilty to failing to keep a proper lookout which resulted in a collision with another vessel on March 25.

Magistrates heard that the boat left Newlyn harbour with four crew on board and headed towards fishing grounds south of Cornwall, and Cowan-Dickie took over as the officer of the watch and was the only person on the bridge.

At 4.30pm that afternoon the vessel collided with the 2,000-tonne coaster Pommern 14 nautical miles south of Newlyn Harbour, causing considerable damage to the coaster.

When interviewed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s enforcement team, Cowan-Dickie admitted that he was in control of the fishing vessel, but simply failed to see the coaster.

Mr Chris Uglow, principal fishing vessel surveyor, based at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Falmouth Marine Office, said: “When under way all vessels should keep a proper lookout at all times using all available means; it is clear in this case that this did not take place, resulting in a collision that caused significant damage, and could easily have resulted in multiple casualties and pollution along the south coast of Cornwall.”

Cowan Dickie was fined £1,000, with £1,000 in costs and a £100 victim surcharge, and magistrates took into account his previous good character.