Post by Hoppy on Mar 14, 2006 10:02:50 GMT -1
Seven Sisters poacher caught in the act by Agency
Lee Allan Watkins of Hedd Aberth, Seven Sisters, Neath was fined a total of £330 at BreconMagistrates Court on 10 March 2006 after pleading guilty to a series of fisheries-relatedoffences. He was also ordered to pay £50 in costs and was ordered to forfeit a rod and reel,
fishing tackle and a hen salmon, in a prosecution brought by Environment Agency Wales.
In all the defendant pleaded guilty to five offences:
The Court was told that on 9 September 2005 an Agency Enforcement Officer was patrolling the upper reaches of the River Tawe at Abercrave. Whilst doing so he noticed a Peugot car parked near Abercrave Cemetery. Under closer inspection of the interior of the vehicle the officer saw a very large, silver-plated treble hook with a fishing line wrapped tightly around the shank. This device was of a type that the officer had seen during the course of his career, and one which he knew to have been used to foul hook fish.
The officer made his way to the River Tawe, to a point where he saw Watkins and a companion. Watkins had a fishing rod with a fixed spool reel, which he was using to cast downstream and across into a pool. He was seen to repeatedly retrieve the line by means of
violent sideways jerks of the rod. At one point the officer saw a fish in the pool, and witnessed Watkins casting his line towards it, retrieving it with the same jerking movement.
After calling for Agency assistance the officer returned to where the Peugot had been parked. He saw Watkins and his companion approach the car, intercepted them, identified himself and advised both men of his observations. Neither man had any fishing gear in their possession and when the officer asked where it was neither replied. The officer then asked Watkins for
his address but received no response.
Both men were told to remain where they were, while the officer carried out a vehicle registration check.
During this however, both men made off in the direction of Ynyswen. The registration check confirmed that the Peugot was registered to Watkins. Subsequent enquiries confirmed that Watkins did not hold a current rod licence.
The officer was then joined by two colleagues, one of whom searched the area with the assistance of his trained dog. In a nearby field the dog found a pale-coloured fishing rod hidden from view under bracken a pale coloured fishing rod with a fixed spool reel, a fishing line with a spinner on it, a tin containing items of tackle including several treble hooks and a freshly-killed salmon. Inspection of the fish revealed it to be damaged to the right side of its head behind the eye. there was no evidence of damage to the mouth to suggest it had been hooked there, and the injuries were consistent with those of a fish which had been foul
hooked.
An Agency spokesperson said after the case: ‘Foul hooking or snatching is an unsporting and brutal method of fishing. Fish can escape, having been injured and become prone to infection.
Due to its indiscriminate nature, it poses a threat to all species of fish including migratory ones. Over the years the location at Penycae have developed a reputation as a poaching hotspot. Given the circumstances the Agency was of the view that this was unlikely to have
been a haphazard attempt at taking fish on the part of the defendant, but a premeditated attempt to capture migratory fish returning to the head waters of the Tawe.’
Lee Allan Watkins of Hedd Aberth, Seven Sisters, Neath was fined a total of £330 at BreconMagistrates Court on 10 March 2006 after pleading guilty to a series of fisheries-relatedoffences. He was also ordered to pay £50 in costs and was ordered to forfeit a rod and reel,
fishing tackle and a hen salmon, in a prosecution brought by Environment Agency Wales.
In all the defendant pleaded guilty to five offences:
- Fishing by means of an unlicensed rod and line contrary to Section 27(a) of the Salmon
and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 (SFFA ’75). Fined £130. - Breaching Byelaw 7 of the Agency’s National Phase II Byelaws contrary to Section 211
WRA’91 – failing to return to the river a salmon hooked other than in the mouth or throat.
Fined £60. - Breaching Byelaw 8 of the Agency’s Welsh Region Byelaws contrary to Section 211 of
the Water Resources Act 1991 – removing a salmon without written authority. Fined £60. - Failing to state his name & address to a Constable (Water Bailiff ) contrary to Section
35(3) SFFA’75 – No separate penalty imposed - Obstructing a Constable (Water Bailiff) in the execution of his duty contrary to Section
89(2) of the Police Act 1996. Fined £80.
The Court was told that on 9 September 2005 an Agency Enforcement Officer was patrolling the upper reaches of the River Tawe at Abercrave. Whilst doing so he noticed a Peugot car parked near Abercrave Cemetery. Under closer inspection of the interior of the vehicle the officer saw a very large, silver-plated treble hook with a fishing line wrapped tightly around the shank. This device was of a type that the officer had seen during the course of his career, and one which he knew to have been used to foul hook fish.
The officer made his way to the River Tawe, to a point where he saw Watkins and a companion. Watkins had a fishing rod with a fixed spool reel, which he was using to cast downstream and across into a pool. He was seen to repeatedly retrieve the line by means of
violent sideways jerks of the rod. At one point the officer saw a fish in the pool, and witnessed Watkins casting his line towards it, retrieving it with the same jerking movement.
After calling for Agency assistance the officer returned to where the Peugot had been parked. He saw Watkins and his companion approach the car, intercepted them, identified himself and advised both men of his observations. Neither man had any fishing gear in their possession and when the officer asked where it was neither replied. The officer then asked Watkins for
his address but received no response.
Both men were told to remain where they were, while the officer carried out a vehicle registration check.
During this however, both men made off in the direction of Ynyswen. The registration check confirmed that the Peugot was registered to Watkins. Subsequent enquiries confirmed that Watkins did not hold a current rod licence.
The officer was then joined by two colleagues, one of whom searched the area with the assistance of his trained dog. In a nearby field the dog found a pale-coloured fishing rod hidden from view under bracken a pale coloured fishing rod with a fixed spool reel, a fishing line with a spinner on it, a tin containing items of tackle including several treble hooks and a freshly-killed salmon. Inspection of the fish revealed it to be damaged to the right side of its head behind the eye. there was no evidence of damage to the mouth to suggest it had been hooked there, and the injuries were consistent with those of a fish which had been foul
hooked.
An Agency spokesperson said after the case: ‘Foul hooking or snatching is an unsporting and brutal method of fishing. Fish can escape, having been injured and become prone to infection.
Due to its indiscriminate nature, it poses a threat to all species of fish including migratory ones. Over the years the location at Penycae have developed a reputation as a poaching hotspot. Given the circumstances the Agency was of the view that this was unlikely to have
been a haphazard attempt at taking fish on the part of the defendant, but a premeditated attempt to capture migratory fish returning to the head waters of the Tawe.’
