KENT FISHERIES TEAM SEIZE ILLEGAL NET - KENT RIVER

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KENT FISHERIES TEAM SEIZE ILLEGAL NET IN KENT RIVER


Environment Agency Fisheries Officers have recently seized an illegally set fishing net from a river in Kent.

A member of the public had found the net set parallel to the bank and fixed with stakes to the bed of the River Beult. Due to environmental concerns the net was removed immediately, as this river is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and also a conservation area.

The discovery of the net in Kent follows the seizure of over £2,000 worth of Dutch fyke nets from the River Meon at the Tichfield Nature Reserve in Hampshire over the weekend.

Chris Conroy, Environment Agency Fisheries Technical Specialist for Kent said: "The Environment Agency regulates all methods of fishing in inland waters by a system of licensing. This double-ended fyke net was unlicensed and the owner had failed to fit an otter guard or to mark the location of the net.

“The Environment Agency will have no hesitation in prosecuting any person responsible for illegal fishing. Our Water Bailiffs are patrolling hotspots on a regular basis and anyone found in contravention of the regulations could face arrest, seizure of equipment, prosecution and fines of up to £2,500.”

If members have any information relating to illegal net fishing, they are requested to phone the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060

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ILLEGAL EEL NETS SEIZED AT HAMPSHIRE NATURE RESERVE
Jun 12,2006 by Elton Murphy


Environment Agency Fisheries Officers seized over £2,000 worth of illegally set fishing nets from a Hampshire nature reserve at the weekend.

Acting on information received from the public, the Dutch fyke nets were seen by Environment Agency Fisheries Officers stretched across the River Meon in the Tichfield Haven nature reserve. The river here is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is a protected conservation area.

The Fisheries team carried out surveillance on the site with the aim of apprehending the poachers. However it was decided that leaving the nets in place any longer posed an unacceptable environmental threat and subsequently action was taken to remove them. In all, twenty sets of nets were recovered containing 15kgs of eels.

Rob Waring, Environment Agency Fisheries and Biodiversity Team Leader for Hampshire, said: "These traps were posing a real threat to migratory sea trout stocks as well as eels. The Environment Agency regulates all methods of fishing on inland waters and these traps were unlicensed and set without any permissions or consideration for the possible damage to fragile fish stocks and bird communities, for which the reserve has a statutory duty to protect.

"In addition, the traps were not fitted with the necessary guards to prevent otters from drowning. The equipment seized has a market value of approximately £2,000 and the Environment Agency will have no hesitation in prosecuting any persons identified as being responsible for illegal fishing."

If members of the public have any information about this incident, they are requested to phone the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline in confidence on 0800 807060.