THE TRIAL of the Honduran captain, his chief mate and engineer who were charged with breaches of Jamaica's fishing and environmental laws on January 16 suffered another setback yesterday when the case was adjourned until next Monday.
According to attorney representing the Hondurans, Hugh Hyman, the decision was taken by the judge "to give the prosecution some more time to respond to submissions that I made".
The trial of the Hondurans was slated for February 11 but was postponed to yesterday because of the "unavoidable absence" of the clerk of courts.
The captain, Derek Diaz, 44, of Rotan Island, Honduras; chief mate, Raymon Martinez, 35, also of Rotan Island; and engineer, Alejandro Christoph, 26 of La Cieba, Honduras, were fined along with 60 other fishermen for fishing without a licence, operating an unlicensed boat and fishing during the closed conch season.
They are being tried for possession of 62 berried lobsters and breaches of the Aquaculture Act.
The captain, the chief mate and engineer who are in custody at the Police Remand Centre were part of a group of more than 80 Hondurans, including 17 juveniles, who were picked up by the Coast Guard and the Marine Police for illegal fishing on January 16.
The juveniles, who are being held in Jamaica pending the completion of the trial, are being housed at the Alpha Boys' Home while the more than 60 adult fishermen are being held at the General Penitentiary Hostel along Tower Street.
