An illegal catch of €700 worth of the popular dolphin fish, or lampuki, cost a Gozitan skipper dearly as he was fined €7,800.

Andrew Azzopardi, 58, of Xewkija, pleaded guilty to catching about 17 boxes of the fish before the official opening of the season on August 15.

Mr Azzopardi, captain of the fishing vessel Ġużeppi, also admitted making use of fishing aggregation devices used to attract the lampuki when it was not allowed by law, which prohibited the use of any form of apparatus between January 1 and August 14.

He was also charged before Magistrate Paul Coppini with not correctly stowing away his fishing gear, making it readily available for use for fishing.

Failure to stow away gear at sea in an area where fishing is prohibited can lead to a maximum fine exceeding €58,000.

He was also charged with being in possession of fishing tools without authorisation.

Magistrate Coppini also confiscated the earnings of the sale of the fish.

Police Inspector Frank Tabone prosecuted.

Also known as dorado fish, lampuki grow from pinhead-sized dots to three kilogrammes in six months.

The lampuki fishing season, which ends on December 31, traditionally opens with the boats being blessed by the parish priest of the fishing village of Marsaxlokk.

They then sail out of the harbour heavily laden with stone slabs used as weights for the nets, floats and palm fronds that provide shade under which the fish gather and are trapped in kannizzati nets.