A former fisheries observer was fined Monday after being found guilty of giving false catch records to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans three years ago.

Andrew Dwyer, 56, had claimed that catch records for crab taken on a fisheries vessel in June 2009 were just estimates.

But in provincial court on Monday, Judge David Power rejected the explanation.

Power said that Dwyer was an experienced fisheries observer and that his misreporting of 30 per cent for two trips on the same vessel can't be explained. Power determined that the information Dwyer provided was clearly false.

The misreporting involved catches on the Atlantic Clipper.

Dwyer, who has already lost his job, was fined $2,600.

The court wasn't given any reason why Dwyer would have falsified his reports.